Meredith is a hot mess’s Reviews > The Secret of a Happy Home > Status Update

This book is wearing me out. Unlike The Housekeeper's Week, which was inspiring with the gusto in which the author wrote about housekeeping (truly, it should be to anyone of any gender, if they keep their living space clean) I am not finding this inspiring or revitalizing.

It's reminding me of the women who gossiped at my church & in my community growing up underneath a veil of holy self-righteousness.

Oh, this lady.

Let us old people set an example of tolerance and charitable speech

I'm sure she thinks she sets an example, she trashes her servants & friends in her moral lessons & goes so far as to publish them. She's doing the 'if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all' thing and I swear the women who say that are the ugliest gossips. Goes for authors talking about reviews too lol

She's talking about teenagers now.

Do you recollect how you felt and dreamed and gushed when you were a girl, the pages of sentimental twaddle (as you now call it) which you confided to a diary which you burned in disgust at age 21?

One branch of work sons are sinfully deficient is 'putting things to rights.' The floor of your sons' room may be littered with books, papers, cravats, soiled collars and cuffs, but he never thinks it his duty to pick them up and keep his possessions in order. About one man in a thousand is an exception to this rule, and thrice blessed is she who weds him

She's talking about getting children to help with housework, and it's clear she has a distrust of her sons ability to do housework. Seems she only expects them to keep their room clean.

She is v. particular about housework, especially laundry, she doesn't even like how her servants get the job done. She's patient with her daughters, but easily frustrated by her sons' attempts

I need to mind my own damn business lmao.

There are statistics that a higher % of women come out at a disadvantage when they divorce, and this was a clear example to me of how that might occur. (though hypothetical - hopefully they stay happily married)

So, this book advocating financial literacy to housewives (in a sense) in the 1800s is admirable to me

Wise on his father's part if he doesn't trust his son or his wife. However, this young girl will be in for a rude awakening if she divorces 20 years later and learns legally she is due nothing and then tries to take on a mortgage or has to start over.

Financial literacy, transparency with a partner, expectations, and advocating for yourself (in a fair way) is so important.

I'm doing something this author says I shouldn't do. Which is admitting a fault of mine. I can be nosy.

An ex-friend of mine from an ex friend group married a girl. She was thrilled and very young. Very excited to now own her own house & property, she's rich now.

I looked up the deed (I know how to do that) and not only was her name not on the deed, her husband's name wasn't on the deed. It was owned by his father

It's clear this woman was prepared. She was not going to let that happen to herself or her daughters. She valued financial literacy. I can respect that.