Good old days

As WW 2 came to an end, Rosey the Riveter returned to the home and the service boys took over the jobs. They needed a job and a home so they could start a family. The cities were already densely packed so everyone looked to the suburbs. What was once a corn field, became a housing development. Houses were small, less than 1,000 sq ft and family size was 3.5 kids instead of 1.5 today. Many of the returning service men went to school on the GI bill which paid $500 per year for tuition and $90 per month. This meant working while going to school and that is what most did. The women were the homemakers and the men went to work. Families lived on one income and very little credit except for a home loan and one car. Mom had time for the kids and time to prepare home cooked meals so the families rarely ate out. Entertainment for the kids was mostly free since they just played outside with neighbors’ kids without any coaches or rules. Families ate their evening meal together, often times on TV trays, sitting around the one console TV in the living room. On Sundays many families went to church and on some special occasions went for a picnic in the park. As TV programs increased fewer families went to movies that meant a drive into town. Many men worked in factories where the pay was a living wage and offered healthcare. People visited friends and neighbors and read magazines, newspaper and books and rarely took extended vacations, preferring weekend trips to the lake. The result was the baby boom where 70 million babies were born between 1946 and 1964 the largest population growth in the history of the country. This is what people my age call the good old days.