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Nothing, not even time, can control stereotypes. Even today, when the words “the perfect hostess” are used, many people imagine a tired woman in an apron, who is fussing at the stove with boiling pots, and in between, fussing with children. However, the modern hostess has nothing to do with this image. How has it changed in the last decades? What does it live and breathe? The perfect hostess — who is it? The website “Healthy Food Near Me” and the brand of olive oil IDEAL conducted a study on this topic, after running the corresponding test, the results of which are read in our material.
A housewife in business
It’s hard to imagine, but just 30-40 years ago, being an unemployed housewife with a well-off husband was considered almost a gift of fate. Most often, the wife’s duties included keeping the house in perfect order and cleanliness, managing to prepare hearty dinners for the return of a hard-working spouse, and raising children. In a word, she stoically carried all the cares and hardships of everyday life on her fragile shoulders, while her husband did not even try to delve into all this everyday routine, but took on the role of a breadwinner. Today, the situation has changed dramatically. According to opinion polls, 56 % of men in our country are ready to share household chores equally and do not see anything shameful in this. Moreover, almost all of them insist that the life partner should pursue her own career. And I must say, the modern hostess quite successfully combines the roles of the keeper of the hearth and the working woman.
Opportunities without borders
Another stereotype that follows from the first one is that the housewife is so immersed in the care of the house that she has no personal interests or special requests. No wonder, because she is always sitting in four walls, not too interested in life in the big world. She gave herself entirely to the arrangement of home comfort, raising children, and let men solve global problems. Today, a rare woman will agree to such a monotonous role. Even if she is forced to stay at home, she does not lose contact with the outside world. Thanks to the Internet and modern gadgets, she is always up to date with current events and can support a conversation on any topic. The worldwide network allows you to attend online training courses and seminars of various types. Modern technologies make it possible to work right at home, adding to the family budget. Active housewives are happy to start beauty blogs, bake custom-made cakes, create exclusive designer jewelry and give advice on various issues. Online labor exchanges with different specializations allow you to find useful applications for professional skills. By registering on such resources and showing diligence, you can get regular customers and get a stable income. And with their help, it is easy to turn your favorite hobby into a source of income.
Two-field game
Often in the minds of society, the opinion of long ago prevails that the birth of children automatically transfers a woman to the status of a housewife. Therefore, she must sacrifice her dreams of building a brilliant career in the name of raising children. The minimum program involves leaving for a three-year maternity leave and a permanent stay at the home combat post. Modern housewives prefer to look for profitable compromises that take into account the interests of the whole family and their own aspirations.
We have already found out that she always has opportunities for communication, self-development and even entertainment. As the practice of recent years shows, more and more women (especially in megacities) are willing to resort to the services of hired nannies. And after a couple of years, they calmly lead the kids to kindergarten.
Increasingly, caring fathers come to the rescue, ready to babysit their beloved crumbs in order to make life a little easier for their spouse. And yet, not every new mother will dare to work hard immediately after giving birth. So far, this is the prerogative of diehard businesswomen who are not going to give up motherhood. While the vast majority of women at least the first two years of the baby’s life prefer to be near him.
High-flying chef
Another misconception from the past convinces us that the perfect hostess is a walking culinary encyclopedia that remembers hundreds of recipes by heart for all occasions. And she will always have in stock the crown dishes, which are passed down from generation to generation with trepidation. Of course, modern housewives also carefully store family recipes. At the same time, they are happy to draw their culinary knowledge from thematic sites, social networks, video blogs and television shows. In any smartphone and tablet, you can install useful applications that will tell you about the subtleties of cooking, help you make a family menu for the week and give advice on choosing products. Thanks to these technical innovations, you can not fill your head with unnecessary information. The most advanced and active housewives are happy to attend special master classes, improving their culinary talent.
The whole culinary army
Perhaps the most pleasant and practical changes that have occurred in the lives of housewives in recent decades are associated with the advent of “smart” home appliances. After all, our grandmothers and mothers had to use a knife, a rolling pin, and often only with their own hands for a long time while preparing food. Of course, they had kitchen helpers at their disposal. But, you must agree, mechanical meat grinders, unaffordable cast-iron waffle irons or molds for modeling dumplings do not go to any comparison with modern gadgets.
Today, all the menial work is done by mixers, blenders and food processors. Meals are carefully prepared by a slow cooker, and fresh, fragrant bread on the table is provided by a bread maker. The coffee maker and juicer make your favorite fresh drinks while you’re busy with breakfast. The microwave warms up any dish in no time. Even the usual ovens, stoves, washing machines and refrigerators are equipped with many options that make life easier and save precious time for family joys. And of course, do not forget about dishwashers.
But there are still a lot of little things that make you feel like a real chef. Sprayer for vegetable oil, original omelet molds, size-adjustable rolling pins, measuring containers for frying pancakes, devices for beautiful slicing of vegetables and fruits… All these gadgets make culinary everyday life brighter, more joyful and more interesting.
Food Basket of Abundance
Since we are talking about culinary matters, it is impossible not to mention how much the family menu has changed over the past years. In the recent past, housewives sometimes literally had to get the basic necessities. But today, filled supermarket shelves and shelves bursting with an abundance of products in the markets are quite a familiar picture. And the food industry has taken a step forward, increasing the shelf life of many products.
However, the generous gastronomic choice is not limited to this. If you do not have the time and desire to cook, you can always go to the nearest cafe or diner with the whole family. The all-powerful Internet also comes to the rescue. After all, with its help, it is easy to get absolutely any products at any time of the day. And even better-order a hearty lunch with home delivery or even a full menu of ready meals for the whole week.
Adherents of a healthy diet today live more freely than ever. To their delight, there are dozens of online services that deliver whole sets of ready meals for a month right to their doorstep. Moreover, each such dish is strictly balanced in terms of nutritional elements, and all calories are carefully calculated. In this series, you can mention specialty stores of organic food, the quality and benefits of which there is no doubt. Well, what to choose from this inexhaustible abundance is up to the wise thrifty housewife.
So, even with the naked eye, you can see that the portrait of the modern ideal hostess has undergone a serious metamorphosis. Today, this is an energetic, self-confident woman who skillfully supports the family hearth and successfully reaches career heights. At the same time, she leads an active lifestyle, finding time for self-development and interesting entertainment.