Senior citizens: Remember when a man could provide for a family of 8 or more?

[lona]

with a stay at home mom? What happened?

[Jan G]

My daddy had the welfare system figure out way back then, the three meals a day we got were oatmeal , cornmeal, miss-a-meal

[livn4themin]

I am not a senior citizen, however, back in those days, you usually grew most of your own food, and none of the kids were allowed to "not help" with the younger ones. By the time you were 4 you were washing levi's on a washboard with your sibling of 3. It was a team unit, working together.
Everyone helped.
Just a thought from me.

[feuerhund]

Craig B has it right!

When people move of of the land, everything changes. They lose their independence. Most people in cities do not have the land to grow a substantial amount of food.

After WWII everything started getting in corporated and conglomerated. It wasn't too bad until the corporations started exporting manufacturing to countries with cheaper labor. In the 80's Reagan boasted of the new "service economy". We were all going to cook hamburgers for each other and support our families, somehow. Curiously, he gave the first amnesty to illegal aliens, so the new "service economy" apparently meant importing cheaper labor.

I don't know if it was intentionally planned, but somehow we gradually being equalized with third world countries. Even the goverment is outsourcing, sending our tax dollars to other countries. America is bankrupt! And they just keep borrowing and spending.

We are eating less bread, milk, eggs, and cheese at my house. Not very long ago eggs were 69 cents a dozen. Now they are 1.69, and the news is calling that a 40% increase.

1984 has arrived, and it just keeps arriving. My great grandchildren will spend most of their lives paying for the debacle in Iraq. We are still paying for Korea and Viet Nam. I've read that 1/3 of the gulf war vets are on disability.

[Cloverfield Monster]

Exactly! What happened to the overstressed Dads who beat their wife and children from the stress of work? Those were the good old days. What about the Dad who worked so hard that he was too tired to do anything and the mom who had too many children to pay attention to, so most of the kids were neglected and the Dad ended up cheating and leaving the wife. I wish we could get back.

[Granny 1]

That's when a family unit meant just that, everyone had a chore to do and did it. An a home cooked meal meant from scratch

[craig b]

I'm not a senior citizen, but I can answer your question.

In 1955, the home mortgage took 11% of a person's income. Today it takes 55%. Today's young marrieds are spending 44% more of their income on instant debt load.
Are their eyes to big or is housing just that expensive?
(I claim 50/50)

On top of that, we have approx. 15% greater tax load on us pretty much right off the top. There are still families of 8+ out there today, but unless they have an above-average income, there is no way they can survive on their own.

I raised 5 kids (4 through college and the last one is there now). I have little retirement left and my house, which should be paid off by now, has an 80% mortgage against it. I thought I'd be close to retirement by now (54), but I feel like I'm just starting out. The only thing I own free and clear is the dog.

[puppysyndrome]

I believe the term they use for that is called "Progress!"

[Diamond]

children today want the latest fashions every toy they see advertised on TV
we were happy just to own a pair of shoes without holes in
and share what few toys we had with others, then we got to play with theirs as well

[ShortcutHerbal Goody]

Since when can one provide for a family of 8? Must've of been someone lucky enough to be paid well! I'm 58.. I had to go selling items I ordered from Regal as early as 9 years of Age.. yes I lied on that form.. Regal sellers weren't suppose to be younger than 13. My Parents noticed as they had to sign permission for anyone under 16. My Mom worked at the Circus and saved enough to start up a Dress Shop. My brother was fixing electrical stuff.. My sisters were babysitting everyone was earning money just to get by!
I didn't ever know of anyone that could easily provide for a family of 8 except for my Aunt and Uncle Scollie who had Scollie's Dairy.