Not disagreeing with you, but to offer another perspective. Growing up in the '50s, mothers as a rule didn't work. Most families had 2 parents (of opposite genders). We didn't pay for TV, and didn't own one until we could afford it. Didn't have A/C until we could afford it. Didn't have a new car every few years. Always bought used. Phone was on a party line. Vacations were a few days with the Grandparents. Etc., etc. You get the idea. On the other hand, we weren't brainwashed into believing we had to have every new, shiny gadget that came out. We didn't get all the fancy dolls, there were LAL (look-a-like) dolls, and patterns for making clothes for them. And we didn't have credit cards, just accounts at Sears and Penneys for the bare necessities that we didn't have cash for at the moment. On the other hand, we owned our own (small) home. Life was so different then. Oh, we were still brainwashed, but different.