A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO WORLD WAR TWO
Daily Life During WW2
Life in 1939 to 1945 was so greatly different to todays society. Besides there being a world war, the way of life for everybody was alot more simplistic, from how mothers used to wash the family's clothes to the toys the children used to play with.
Families of this time lived in simpler and perhaps smaller homes that didnt function as our homes do today. Kitchens in these wartime homes were where mothers spent alot of time preparing and cook food for the family. In most homes today often hobs or stoves are powered from electricity, whereas in 1939 they were powered by coal or sometimes wood fire. Most ovens were gas and only limited people had an electric one as it was more expensive. The hob was not only used to cook food but to also heat the kitchen.
Appliances in our kitchen today that we take for granted, such as fridges, were a rare luxury for people who earned alot of money. People that lived in the time of world war 2 went shopping daily to buy fresh foods as they had nowhere to keep it. They used a meat cupboard to store meat they had bought so it was away from germs or flies.
Living rooms in 1939 were nothing like today. The typical british family had a basic room in which they socialised and listened to the radio, as nobody had televisions at this point. Families never ate meals in the living room as this was keep in perfect condition, used for visitors. They typically had no heating in their homes so they were kept warm by a coal fire, however priviledged families did have central heating.
Children in 1939 didn't have electronic toys such as iPads or playstations, therefore they had to entertain themselves with usually hand made toys. During this time, toy factories were occupied making weapons or planes for the war so there was a limited amount of new toys. 'Toy exchanges' were put in place in order for children to swap any toys they didnt want and chose from other childrens unwanted toys. Several wartime toys were based on the war, so toy planes or guns were very popular during this time.
Families in todays society possibly spend some time in the evening watching the television, however families in 1939 did not have that luxury. They're source of news or entertainment was through listening to the radio. Families did this together as they would listen for updates about the events of the war. Aswell as war updates the radio plays comedy shows and sports news. They also played jolly music in attempt to lift spirits of everyone who was working hard towards producing the war materials.