The History of Work and the Family

Before the Industrial Revolution and World War II, families all worked together to provide a living. Work and family were not separate. Moms and Dads worked together to accomplish goals. It was not uncommon for families to live upstairs and have their place of business on the first floor. When the Industrial Revolution came, fathers left to work in factories for 12 or more hours a day, while mothers stayed home with the children. Fathers became more separate from the family and World War II didn't help. Fathers were sent off to war and mothers were then depended upon to work in factories. They had to help their country and provide a living for their family. This was a huge impact on the family. Families were no longer working together towards a common goal, but became very separate in their lives. When the war was over and the men came home, women didn't want to give up their wages to let their husband be the provider. Wages then became independence and freedom. Today, the man or the woman can be the main provider, but families never did go back to working together to earn a living. We all need to keep in mind the importance of being a family unit. Even if we don't spend every second of the day together, we need to remember to make quality time for each other and have family activities together. Family is the most important thing.