my mom graduated from high school in 1936 , in january. she took early graduation so she, too, could work. her mother had been a working mom since she and her sisters were born--she remembered being put in a high chair in the kitchen of the "big house", along with her two sisters in their chairs, and being told to be good. they had wrapping paper to write and color on, and their mom would come back and check on them every so often. that was their "job"--to be good. her dad was a painter and artist, and money was never too good. he had a habit of disappearing every so often, so their mom worked, always. the three sisters were always very close, and traded clothing back and forth. mom's favorite kind of sewing was never from a new pattern, but being able to remodel and repurpose something into something new and useful. and i remember their mantra: "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!" they all played the piano or sang, and would dance in the parlor while one of them played, and their father played his violin. i was lucky enough to have inherited some great photos of them back in the day...