s/o Liberation...Physical Labor is Bad?

[Saille]

I keep wondering about this...it seems to me that people now consider simple activities like scrubbing, weeding, etc. (things that get you grimy and sweaty and so on) somehow antiquated. I, on the other hand, consider a lot of "conveniences" to be arbitrary and to create a lot of excess spending and waste...not to mention that a lot of them don't actually work. Remember when dustbusters were a big deal? I feel the same way about swiffers. They're ill-equipped to handle real dirt, IMO.

 

What are your thoughts on this? It just seems like a weird disconnect to me.

[secular_mom]

I think all those gadgets just create a new 'different' kind of work. Hauling weedeaters in for repairs, having to keep all the supplies on hand to feed the things (gas mixed with oil, tape, etc., not to mention trips to to store to get more gas when you run out, so more mileage on your vehicles). The Slap Chop doesn't cut well, IMO (I tried one somewhere else) and more than that it's a total PITA to get those blades clean- and seems dangerous to try to clean them. I guess if you don't care if a job is done well, then using those products is fine. It's 'easier' in the short term. But if you want something done well, you usually have to do the work yourself.

[juelle]

I, on the other hand, consider a lot of "conveniences" to be arbitrary and to create a lot of excess spending and waste...not to mention that a lot of them don't actually work.

 

:iagree: Of course, anything would work for cleaning my house if I used it.:001_smile:

[SproutMamaK]

Hey, don't go knocking my dustbuster. ;) MAN, does that make my life easier.

 

Other than that, though.... I'm with ya. I take a certain satisfaction out of doing things like that. Not because I feel superior of anything, but because every once in a while I LIKE physical work. Helps me take out that aggression my children are so good at creating in me. :lol:

[LisaKinVA]

Some of the happiest people I know are manual laborers.

 

Physical labor is not bad, at times it is quite good. There are some acts I loathe, and others I do not mind at all. I do not scrub the floor on my hands and knees. My spray bottle and microfiber mop do just fine, and my knees are grateful.

 

I do not like ladders, and prefer the extension arms for my duster to get the dust off of ceiling fans and high corners. This is also the reason I have designed our house without high windows. If I can't use a step stool, it's too high!

 

I hate weeding. Thus, find rock gardens peaceful. I can't avoid all plant life, though -- so some weeding must be done. I do not like planting special flowers in each season -- give me things that grow on their own, flower appropriately, that I only need to trim with hedge clippers and we're good. I don't mind trimming bushes, for some reason.

 

If I had a good friend to talk to, I would be better organized. I find talking while organizing/cleaning out junk very helpful.

[Heather in AL]

I keep wondering about this...it seems to me that people now consider simple activities like scrubbing, weeding, etc. (things that get you grimy and sweaty and so on) somehow antiquated.

 

I'm not sure when it happened, but yes, I do think that for many people, it's antiquated, with a bit of 'status' mixed in.

 

By the above, I mean that by having 'things' that supposedly make physical labor easier, a person has elevated or risen above a menial job, and has the money to afford the things to make their lives easier. I remember as a kid, hearing about a classmate who had a maid come to their house. We all thought this was a really rich person! Hence, status.

 

As for the physical labor being antiquated, yes. I think it's a "there's a tool for that, so save yourself the time & energy" thing. An example.... hubby mows the grass and I sweep the clippings from the sidewalk & driveway. Yep.... I sweep it. The first time we mowed in this house, our next door neighbor came over all concerned (it was in the 90s and HUMID!) and said he had a blower we could borrow. We thanked him and said that we enjoyed sweeping. :confused::confused: doesn't even *begin* to describe the look on his face.

 

Dh and I seem to do lots of things that our friends & neighbors don't do. I enjoy physical labor (it makes me feel alive), but there are some things I'd rather not do all the time (dishes, for example).

 

I think this revolution, if you will, started with the widespread use of electricity.... it made cooking 'easier', then washing the clothes in machines was easier, and we had a/c so we got used to being 'cool' in the hot months, so doing anything that made us sweat was just eewwww.

[Mynyel]

I keep wondering about this...it seems to me that people now consider simple activities like scrubbing, weeding, etc. (things that get you grimy and sweaty and so on) somehow antiquated. I, on the other hand, consider a lot of "conveniences" to be arbitrary and to create a lot of excess spending and waste...not to mention that a lot of them don't actually work. Remember when dustbusters were a big deal? I feel the same way about swiffers. They're ill-equipped to handle real dirt, IMO.

 

What are your thoughts on this? It just seems like a weird disconnect to me.

 

 

:iagree:

 

I have a swiffer *snort* what a joke. Yea they are good if you don't actually get your floor dirty.

 

I live with red clay soil on a dirt road. Swiffer just moves the dirt around. If I want clean, really clean, floors I have to get down on my hands and knees to clean. We won't talk about the grout.

 

The only modern "conveniences" I have is the toilet swiffer thing (I don't remember what it is called) I use the disposable cleaning things, magic sponges and clorox wipes. Otherwise it is vinegar and a washcloth.

 

I don't use chemicals if I can help it. Although Greased Lightening can be awesome for tough to get off grease and such.

 

If houses were easy to clean we wouldn't need all the stuff that is supposed to make it easy!

[specialmama]

I'm just tickled cuz my post caused a Spin Off! First time, folks! :lol: I think that calls for a pedicure. :lol:

[astrid]

Why use a broom and a basic vacuum when you can have one that costs several hundred dollars. I think, for many products, it's just another way to brag.

As for swiffers? Over-priced paper towels on a stick.

 

Well, because for starters, with the volume of dog hair around my house and the frequency with which I wage the battle, I daresay I've spent more money killing and then replacing "basic vacuums" than I care to recall. I finally broke down and bought one of those "several hundred dollar" vacuums and have been exceedingly happy with its performance.

 

Sucker? Maybe, maybe not. But I haven't contributed one "basic vacuum" to the local landfill in the five years since I've had the expensive model. And for me, that's a cost savings, and environmental savings, a gas savings, and peace of mind.

 

 

astrid (who agrees with you about the swiffer, by the way)

[Retired]

well my kids are being taught labor

we chose to buy a push mower because it looks plain lazy riding a lawn mower

we use a old fashion can opener because its just plain lazy to use a electric

we hang out clothes

we use a old fashion mop and broom

 

We are very much wealthy enough to afford all the gadgets. My DH and I worked our self out of poor but never want our kids to forget manual labor and a work ethic. We have watched the neighbors kids "cut grass" riding the lawn mower. They sucked up the leaves instead of raking the leaves.

 

We currently are remodeling our home the boys are doing most of the work. They make comments that their friends have never done anything more than ride a lawn mower

 

 

They use to have a problem being the only kids that actually had to work but now my oldest is almost 17 and he thinks all his friends are lazy. He has real pride that he is able to do a "man's job"

 

I do like modern stuff. I use the swifter short dust wand and the toilet wand. I always thought the old toilet brush was just gross.

[Oney Jones]

What are your thoughts on this?

 

 

To each, his own. If you enjoy getting grimy and have the time that day to do so do so...but don't feel less than if you just don't like to get down and dirty or if your day is so packed that you need a shortcut. :001_smile:

Edited June 8, 2010 by Oney Jones

[specialmama]

.....I think it's the same sort of mentality that makes a men buy trucks, fully knowing they'll never haul anything bigger than a bag of compost in it.

 

or bigger, fancier power tools! You know, DeWalt will give you more time cruising in the boat while Black&Decker is just too neanderthal! :tongue_smilie:

[astrid]

Oh well. It works for me--old vacuum,broom, hairy dog, etc. I understand excessive hair/dirt needs, but still, for many it's some sort of twisted feeling of "look, my vacuum is so cool!" Why else would there be 30 minute infomercials hawking the amazing things they can suck up? I think it's the same sort of mentality that makes a men buy trucks, fully knowing they'll never haul anything bigger than a bag of compost in it.

 

Personally, I think it's the TYPE of dog hair. Short, straight, Labrador Retriever type hair is one thing, but our dogs' long, wavy, combined with an undercoat of soft down is quite another on the vacuum. It escaped filters and just burned out the motors of so many department-store vacuums--- if I hadn't sent them all to the dump, I would have a veritable vacuum cleaner graveyard in my shed. In the kitchen, the hair just winds around and clings to the broom, so I prefer to use the vacuum in there as well.

 

And seriously, the words "Oh look! My vacuum is so cool!" have never burst forth from my lips. I could care less what others think of my vacuum brand/model (which, by the way, is not sold via infomercial.) Since I'm very often vacuuming at 11 pm at night, there's even very little chance that any neighbor or friend would actually SEE the vacuum and be impressed, either! :001_smile:

 

astrid

[MBM]

I don't see anything wrong with using good tools to do a chore. We've remodeled extensively several times, and good tools make the job much easier, often faster and more likely we won't put it off. I'm putting up a wall by myself in our living room and building a built-in booth in our kitchen, and all I can say is: Hooray for good tools!

 

[astrid]

I don't see anything wrong with using good tools to do a chore. We've remodeled extensively several times, and good tools make the job much easier, often faster and more likely we won't put it off. I'm putting up a wall by myself in our living room and building a built-in booth in our kitchen, and all I can say is: Hooray for good tools!

 

 

 

YOU GO, GIRL!!! :thumbup:

I agree with you wholeheartedly!!!

 

astrid

[Saille]

I'm going to differentiate between using good tools to do a manual labor job, and using tools that are designed to make it seem like you are not having to do a job, or tools that you can throw away each time you do the job. I use some modern convenience cleaning tools, like Seventh Generation's shower spray (we have super hard water, and it keeps me from having to use nasty Iron-Out as often) and a microfiber cloth for my mop (I'm not a hands and knees girl when it comes to floor washing, but all my floors are wood). But microfiber actually does work better than a mop, IME, and it's reusable. I don't have a problem with a good vacuum that will last a long time, either. What else are you to do when you have carpet?

 

I'm talking about the trend toward disposable gadgets, and a general sensibility of shock and scorn at the idea of getting one's hands dirty doing manual labor.

[Hedgehogs4]

i have one thing that is worth its weight in gold in the convenience dept., but for everything else i'll agree with you.

 

that one thing is my hoover floor-mate floor scrubber, because i have a large house and the main floor is tile--it's great--it shows no dirt--but because of that i let it get dirtier than i normally would and it takes for ever to give it a good scrubbing. the hoover makes life so much easier.

[LibraryLover]

I like to get sweaty in the garden...I hand weed, and doesn't everyone? I also have a 'good' vac, and I am glad I do. I love to hand chop with a good chef's knife I've had for years, but I also like my VitaMix. So yk, whatever it takes, within reason.

[MBM]

I'm going to differentiate between using good tools to do a manual labor job, and using tools that are designed to make it seem like you are not having to do a job, or tools that you can throw away each time you do the job. I use some modern convenience cleaning tools, like Seventh Generation's shower spray (we have super hard water, and it keeps me from having to use nasty Iron-Out as often) and a microfiber cloth for my mop (I'm not a hands and knees girl when it comes to floor washing, but all my floors are wood). But microfiber actually does work better than a mop, IME, and it's reusable. I don't have a problem with a good vacuum that will last a long time, either. What else are you to do when you have carpet?

 

I'm talking about the trend toward disposable gadgets, and a general sensibility of shock and scorn at the idea of getting one's hands dirty doing manual labor.

 

I largely agree with you, Saille.

 

My comment was in response to those denigrating good power tools. IMO, they are worth the money, and if they free up my time so I can head to the beach sooner, all the better. :D

[LibraryLover]

I largely agree with you, Saille.

 

My comment was in response to those denigrating good power tools. IMO, they are worth the money, and if they free up my time so I can head to the beach sooner, all the better. :D

 

 

 

Oh! I did see an infomercial on Sun morn hawking a lithium battery- powered edger/weed whacker I had to turn it off, because I have been wanting an edger badly. But I thought, 'It can't pssibily be that good". I can't remember the name, because I wanted dh to check it out. Oh, the places I could edge! :lol:

[HRAAB]

Most household gadgets advertised to make housework easier are simply a way to try to separate me from my money. Give me a bucket, scrub brush, some vinegar, a broom and a good vacuum, and I'm set. However, we like to physically work and sweat, especially outdoors in the dirt. No way could one of those swiffer mops deal with the dirt we can track in the kitchen. I also feel the same way about most of the new kitchen gadgets. I admit I love my Vitamix, but otherwise, a couple good knives, my cast iron skillet and dutch oven, and I'm happy. Plus all those gadgets take room to store, and I'm hoping to downsize as the girls move out.

[MBM]

Oh! I did see an infomercial on Sun morn hawking a lithium battery- powered edger/weed whacker I had to turn it off, because I have been wanting an edger badly. But I thought, 'It can't pssibily be that good". I can't remember the name, because I wanted dh to check it out. Oh, the places I could edge! :lol:

 

I like Black and Decker's Edge Hog, but it uses a cord. If you have a huge yard, that might not work for you. It does a great job edging and trenching, though. Just be sure not to run over the cord or cut off your toes.

[hillfarm]

First of all, I think it is somewhat subjective. A riding mower for someone on a quarter acre suburban lot seems like overkill to me. However, a riding mower on our appx. 3 acre yard seems like a necessity. Time saving gadgets can be exactly what is needed for someone who does a lot of something, but a silly luxury to those who use them only sporadically or minimally.

 

Regarding hard physical labor, I agree that there is a negative stigma attached to it. I think it is human nature to not want to do that which is hard. In most cultures, people drift away from hard work as soon as they are economically and socially able.

 

In modern America, I have had people consider me quite strange because we grow/raise some of our own food, I cook most meals at home from scratch, I don't have a dishwasher (I AM the dishwasher), I still iron dh's work clothes by hand, etc. We are generally rather low tech at home, which is kind of amusing because dh is Mr. Communications Technology at his work. I had one acquaintance from church say, "You are the only college educated people I know who are still willing to live like this!" I think that might have been a backhanded compliment, but I'm not sure.:001_huh:

 

I'm not sure which is best though. Low tech/hard work has its pluses and minuses as does high tech/minimal work. I guess as long as the family is living within their means and their choice does not cause problems for me, then who am I to say they should work harder?

 

I think some of my attitude comes from my more conservative ancestors who strongly felt that the veneer of civilization is thinner than most of us would like to believe and they were adamant that all of the children and grandchildren be taught how to be self sufficient. They were concerned that if the economy crashed again (like the 1930's Depression), that their descendants would be able to feed, shelter, clothe, and care for themselves and their families.

[astrid]

i have one thing that is worth its weight in gold in the convenience dept., but for everything else i'll agree with you.

 

that one thing is my hoover floor-mate floor scrubber, because i have a large house and the main floor is tile--it's great--it shows no dirt--but because of that i let it get dirtier than i normally would and it takes for ever to give it a good scrubbing. the hoover makes life so much easier.

 

OOOOOH BABY I love my Hoover floor-mate too!!!

 

Seriously love it.

 

astrid

[Desert Rat]

I clean houses for a living and just bought a Hoover Floormate after using one in a client's home. I am a basic girl too but man, this thing works! It will save my knees and back. I don't buy into all the Pledge gadgets and swiffer things, though.

[Truscifi]

I think there are people who have that mentality of 'getting out of work' by buying the latest and greatest gadgets, but there are also people who buy such things that like some manual labor.

 

I personally have a few gadgets (like my Roomba - love it!) that simply give me more time to keep up with laundry and other such chores. Also, a riding mower is a necessity at my house. We have 1.5 acres in Florida-this time of year the grass needs to be mowed weekly, and even on the riding mower it takes over an hour to mow. We used to have a push mower and it took 4 hours to mow the whole area (dh might be faster, but he is always at work). I could do nothing else but the yard one day out of every weekend.

 

OTOH, I do hand weed (and plant and everything else) my garden, and use a cleaning cloth and organic cleaner to clean my kitchen and bathrooms.

[secular_mom]

I realize my post sounds harsh and 'anti-gadget'. I'm not anti-gadget, really, I have gadgets that I enjoy using. I think some gadgets have more appeal for different people, and at different times/for different reasons. I do have a high quality vacuum cleaner, I refuse to buy a cheap one again. The cheap ones I've had in the past just didn't last. My last high quality vacuum lasted a loooooong time, I sent it in for repair and they gave me a check to replace it because it was so old the parts to repair it with were more expensive than buying a new model.

I refused to pay good money for disposable gadgets, until I developed asthma and moved from an area where I dusted once a year to an area that needs to be dusted daily. I sometimes use the disposable dusters now, and sometimes use a microfiber cloth. I'd rather have a Roomba for keeping the floors swept than have a Swiffer. But if I did buy a Swiffer I'd just put a microfiber cloth on it instead of the refills.

 

Anyway, sometimes gadgets cause more work, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they are worth the money and effort to use them, and sometimes not.

When I use my food processor it saves me from slicing/chopping so much, but then I have to clean the little nooks and crannies in it (which drive me crazy)- so I prefer to use a knife for day to day things and bring out the FP when I have a big project going, or when something absolutely needs to be processed (some raw food recipes).

[Saille]

Give me a bucket, scrub brush, some vinegar, a broom and a good vacuum, and I'm set.

 

a couple good knives, my cast iron skillet and dutch oven, and I'm happy.

 

This is more what I'm talking about. Obviously, we're all going to have individual gadgets that contribute immeasurably to our workflow and productivity by filling in our personal gaps. I don't generally mind doing the dishes by hand or mopping the floor, but I'd be miserable without my Mantis tiller. A member of our church confided to my RE class this weekend that she lived for something like 19 years without heated water...10 of it without *running* water, just a well. She was telling them that doing the dishes is meditative for her, b/c the miracle of hot water coming out of the tap and flowing over her hands still hasn't worn off. But our society has a tendency to think that a gadget is needed for every single task, and the gadgets/specialized cleaners/special or disposable cleaning cloths and refills make cleaning horrendously expensive, environmentally unsound, and complicated, when a rag and some vinegar would do just as well.

 

Once upon a time, I had a breadmaker, but I offloaded it when I realized that, for about the same amount of work I was already doing measuring and whatnot, I could have two loaves instead of one...if I just used my own hands instead of the gadget.

 

I think some of my attitude comes from my more conservative ancestors who strongly felt that the veneer of civilization is thinner than most of us would like to believe and they were adamant that all of the children and grandchildren be taught how to be self sufficient. They were concerned that if the economy crashed again (like the 1930's Depression), that their descendants would be able to feed, shelter, clothe, and care for themselves and their families.

 

Brenda Dayne did a really good series about this on Cast On, which I listen to on my techie iPod gadget, using my C25K app. :D And it's something I've been thinking a lot about lately. As Americans, we seem to have lost some of our common sense and Yankee ingenuity. We've built a much more disposable culture. Many of the things we buy defy home repair, like cheap laminate furniture and plastic parts. It's annoying right now, but the Great Recession has hopefully also pointed out to some folks that it's detrimental to a non-disposable, thrifty lifestyle, as well.

[jewellsmommy]

i have one thing that is worth its weight in gold in the convenience dept., but for everything else i'll agree with you.

 

that one thing is my hoover floor-mate floor scrubber, because i have a large house and the main floor is tile--it's great--it shows no dirt--but because of that i let it get dirtier than i normally would and it takes for ever to give it a good scrubbing. the hoover makes life so much easier.

 

 

I love my Hoover floor mate! I have the original model and after a good number of yrs it is still going strong. I have wood floors. My house can be in disarray but I must have clean floors. It is a weird ocd thing with me. I can't stand the feel of anything (dirt stuff) on the bottom of my feet.

 

BTW, I also have a steam mop for the kitchen and 2 bathrooms exclusively because it makes the wood look dull IMHO but it cleans wonderfully on vinyl and tile. And I have a swiffer spray mop thing for quick clean ups. Something is always getting spilled or a ferret to lazy to make it to the corner that has a litter box. :001_smile: Like I said, I am weird about floors. I am not afraid of hard work or anything, in fact, I helped a friend clean houses professionally for her business yrs ago. But I also believe in working as efficiently as possible because there is never a shortage of work to be done. And, I refill my swiffer containers with my own mix because I am somewhat frugal.

 

ETA: I could use the floor mate in the kitchen & bathroom, but I like the sanitary steam clean without having to use anti-bacterial cleaners. I don't require that my general floors be free from bacteria. It's arbitrary & weird, I know.

Edited June 8, 2010 by jewellsmommy

[LuvToRead]

well my kids are being taught labor

we chose to buy a push mower because it looks plain lazy riding a lawn mower

we use a old fashion can opener because its just plain lazy to use a electric

we hang out clothes

we use a old fashion mop and broom

.

 

There is certainly nothing wrong with teaching our children manual labor. I think manual labor is a good thing. But, sometimes using convenience products has nothing to do with laziness. Some people use electric can openers because of arthritis and can't use a manual one. I use a push mower when I mow, but DH uses a rider. It has nothing to do with laziness, but the fact that he works 70+ hours a week as a manual laborer. Sometimes you just need a break.

 

I don't own a bunch of cleaning gadgets, and I think most of don't work. I have a Pledge 360 that I use the dust the ceiling fan blades with, and I love it. I don't think it's fair to call someone lazy because they use a gadget that just might make their life a little easier. After all, I would say most of use a car to get to town, and not a horse and buggy. Is that laziness?

[Saille]

I don't think it's fair to call someone lazy because they use a gadget that just might make their life a little easier. After all, I would say most of use a car to get to town, and not a horse and buggy. Is that laziness?

 

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm talking about a large cultural trend or shift in overall behavior. Yes, sometimes we just need a break, but our definitions of:

 

•sometimes

•break

•difficult

 

are very different than they used to be, say, in the late 1800s. And while technology can be a good thing, its tendency to handicap us by decreasing our skills and stamina is not.

[LuvToRead]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm talking about a large cultural trend or shift in overall behavior. Yes, sometimes we just need a break, but our definitions of:

 

•sometimes

•break

•difficult

 

are very different than they used to be, say, in the late 1800s. And while technology can be a good thing, its tendency to handicap us by decreasing our skills and stamina is not.

 

I agree with this. I think overall, we do tend to take the easy way out.

[Wheres Toto]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm talking about a large cultural trend or shift in overall behavior. Yes, sometimes we just need a break, but our definitions of:

 

•sometimes

•break

•difficult

 

are very different than they used to be, say, in the late 1800s. And while technology can be a good thing, its tendency to handicap us by decreasing our skills and stamina is not.

 

So, how do you decide what technology is okay to use and what is just making us lazy? You mention late 1800's which would involve giving up quite a bit:

 

Cars? certainly are making us lazy but how far away before its okay to drive?

Electricity? only for lights when its after dark? no electric appliances (including computers since the main benefit is time saving - walk on down to the library if you need information)

Stoves? can easily heat your food over a fire so not necessary. hauling and chopping firewood is great exercise.

Washers/dryers? I know many hang dry clothes, how many hand wash all their clothes?

hot water heaters? take cold showers, heat up water for baths only in the winter.

Water pumps? electric or hand pumps?

 

Not being snarky, just wondering how far you take it.

[Night Elf]

vacuum cleaner: yes, I have one that cost $300 10 years ago and it is still going strong. Before that, we went through 3 vacuum cleaners in 4 years. And I don't live on a dirt road and we don't go outside much. It's pet hair and dander mostly. I vacuum every other day and I should probably do it daily. When I use a broom, the pet hair flies into the air. It's rather a riot to watch me try to catch it. I make sure to vacuum before DH goes to bed now. :tongue_smilie:

 

I LOVE modern conveniences. I'm not an old-school gal. But I don't think physical labor is bad just because I use things like vacuums and swiffer mops and dusters. I think it's hilarious that someone else would even care what I clean my floor with!

 

Towel on a stick? Absolutely genius. I hate cleaning on my hands and knees. And I don't see why using a thick rag mop in a bucket of water is superior to dusting the dirt off the floor. Although I do see a swiffer being rather ineffective for deep ground dirt, but I don't have that problem. It actually seems like extra work to me, and I prefer not to spend hours in my day doing things the long way. I'm quite happy living in this time. I would have made an awful homemaker back in the days of doing everything by hand. I'm clumsy.

[Jenny in GA]

we chose to buy a push mower because it looks plain lazy riding a lawn mower

 

Hey, we have a riding mower and I think we are smart, not lazy ... and certainly not suckers!

 

My husband timed it when we first got it. It takes up between 30-45 minutes to mow the lawn with it. With a push mower, it took about an hour and a half. If you figure you mow 25-30 times a year, that's plenty of hours saved. Plus, he is no longer exhausted and sweaty when he is done mowing.

 

So, now he has the time and energy to do other kinds of yardwork. He edges; he blows the leaves and debris off the walkway and driveway; he landscapes. He is hardly lazy. It is very common for him to spend 4-5 hours a weekend doing yardwork, yes, even with his riding mower.

 

Oh, and I should mention that the riding mower helps him pick up leaves too. Even with that, though, doing the leaves in the fall takes him over six hours. Imagine how long it would take us if we raked them all!

 

I think it just depends on the tool. I think the swiffers are awful. But who here would want to bang their laundry against a rock every week, because that makes them a better person than if they used a washing machine?

 

Jenny

(not mad, just sayin')

[Rosie_0801]

Hey, we have a riding mower and I think we are smart, not lazy ... and certainly not suckers!

 

My husband timed it when we first got it. It takes up between 30-45 minutes to mow the lawn with it. With a push mower, it took about an hour and a half. If you figure you mow 25-30 times a year, that's plenty of hours saved.

 

Jenny

(not mad, just sayin')

 

You mow 25 times a year and claim you're not mad! :lol: You must live somewhere with rainfall. We only mow two or three times!

 

Rosie- might just be lazy, heheheh

[Saille]

So, how do you decide what technology is okay to use and what is just making us lazy? You mention late 1800's which would involve giving up quite a bit:

 

Cars? certainly are making us lazy but how far away before its okay to drive?

Electricity? only for lights when its after dark? no electric appliances (including computers since the main benefit is time saving - walk on down to the library if you need information)

Stoves? can easily heat your food over a fire so not necessary. hauling and chopping firewood is great exercise.

Washers/dryers? I know many hang dry clothes, how many hand wash all their clothes?

hot water heaters? take cold showers, heat up water for baths only in the winter.

Water pumps? electric or hand pumps?

 

Not being snarky, just wondering how far you take it.

 

As I already said, I think it will vary on a case by case basis...and certainly, all things in moderation. I'm not suggesting we should all be Luddites.

 

How's this for an analogy: calculators in math class. We all know that calculators are useful, but we also see that they are being used with increasing frequency, not as a convenience, but as a necessity...not alongside basic math fluency, but as a replacement for it.

 

Is a car a necessity? For most of us, yes. Do able-bodied people seriously need to get into their car and drive two stores down in the same shopping plaza when it's a three minute walk and the weather is fine? No. I have seriously been stopped on the street by friends who were concerned to see me doing this. They thought my car must have broken down.

 

Are presentable clothes a necessity? Yes. Do we need to throw them away when they get a small tear or lose buttons, rather than perform simple mending? No.

 

Do we need to clean our houses? Sure. Do we need specialized spray cleaners for every surface, specialized one-use towels, mop heads, dusting broom wipes, napkins, toilet brush heads, and on and on and on and on?

 

How many Americans know how to make bread? Really, truly know where their food comes from? Have grown some of their own food? Understand that many of the ingredients in the processed food at the store are not, in fact, food? Can cut a chicken into its requisite pieces? Eat chicken that is recognizable as a cut of meat?

 

I know there's probably going to be an amen chorus of "but *I* do those things!" But that's one of the things I value most about this board, and I think it's a logical product of the rugged individualism that informs the decision to educate one's own children. It's not the American norm.

 

It seems really, truly ridiculous to me that scrubbing the floor on one's hands and knees could be perceived as proof of disempowerment and menial servitude. And I really think that the reason this young woman reacted as she did is because it is such a simple act, so devoid of modern "convenience" tools, that it appears anachronistic. I think that's silly.

[Wheres Toto]

I know there's probably going to be an amen chorus of "but *I* do those things!" But that's one of the things I value most about this board, and I think it's a logical product of the rugged individualism that informs the decision to educate one's own children. It's not the American norm.

 

 

 

When I was growing up we didn't have a car, we walked everywhere. We didn't have a television or a phone until I was a teen (computers mostly didn't exist yet). My mother made homemade bread (not with a bread maker) and pasta. Soups, sauces, eggrolls were all made from scratch. Cleaning was done with sponges/mops and elbow grease. My mother was a full time working single parent - she did all these things due to lack of funds.

 

Most of the people I know IRL are doing these types of things due to lack of funds although many would probably continue if their financial situation improved.

[Saille]

Most of the people I know IRL are doing these types of things due to lack of funds although many would probably continue if their financial situation improved.

 

Yes, but most homeschoolers sacrifice one income in a two-income family world, so I see homeschooling and frugality as linked, though I know there are folks on the boards who are way more comfortable than my family.

 

That's another wrinkle though, isn't it? We've certainly seen a trend of people maintaining a convenience-oriented lifestyle through use of credit rather than living frugally as your family did. Could it be that they can't conceive of what a frugal life entails, or that they think the do-it-yourself mentality is somehow over and done? As a nation, we seem to be a long way away from, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."

[lllll]

..

[fairfarmhand]

I find it quite ironic that people will spend extra money on unnecessary labor saving devices (ride a $3000 mower around a postage stamp size yard) and then go jogging in the afternoon to burn off some flab.

 

For the record, we have a riding mower. Still takes my dh, my eldest dd and I 4 hours at least to cut our yard. dd and dh ride for probably 3 hours and I do the push mowing for about an hour. 2 years ago when there was a drought, dh put temporary fencing in the yard and let cows onto the lawn. Yes, there was cow poo 8 ft from the front porch, but it was senseless to cut grass when the cows were hungry!

Edited June 9, 2010 by fairfarmhand