Meeting Today’s Lifestyle Standards

There is a constant flux between the old ways of our parents and what we know as today's lifestyle standards.

Our parents had the advantage of being able to refer to their upbringing or consult with their seniors about how things were done as very little changed from generation to generation.  There was always someone who could show them how to do things if required. There were set and prescribed ways to do everything.

We have been brought up in an era where almost everything is new, changed, modified or gone. We are the forerunners of generations to come and many of our actions, habits and reactions will be mimed, readjusted or re-thought. It is quite a challenge.

Prior to the Industrial Revolution, if a family owned a business it was generally operated from their home.

The Industrial Revolution caused many people to abandon their old lifestyle and migrate to the new factories and become employees. This was a very new status for people. Prior, they were considered merchants, service, servants or beggars and had to live by their own wits. Becoming an employee gave them a regular income, with some degree of security and a lot less stress. They had an occupation they could count on being able to address each day knowing they would get paid for that effort.

It was also the beginning of long work hours, low pay and usually without work related benefits. It forced may people into circumstances where they were trying to meet their responsibilities based on the salary they obtained through their employment. It also attributed to a substantial reduction in the amount of children families could afford and sustained a subliminal class structure.

It was during this time that public education was advocated and finally obtained at the beginning of the last century for the average person to better themselves and families through knowledge.

The Second World War was another turning point for the home

During the Second World War woman were encouraged to work outside their homes and take the place of their men folk who were engaged as soldiers. After the war ended, when the men returned home, many women continued working outside the home as they found a combined income afforded them the relief of a very strained budget.

The resulting prosperity for the average family changed dramatically and a very different lifestyle to our ancestors emerged. The emergence of Unions also assisted in the prosperity of many families. This lifestyle progressed right up to a very short time ago where our work habits are now reverting back to “Work At Home”.

This is due to the Technological and Communication Revolution.

Through the use of the Internet e-mail, broadband and very sophisticated software and hardware we may communicate globally.

Following are very good reasons for this realignment coming about:

• The low cost of being able to communicate globally
• The high cost of transportation
• The time savings we enjoy by not commuting
• The care and upbringing of our children
• The high cost of day care
• The lessening of pressure on our environment through pollution

Now there is an emergence of coworking, full and part-time telecommunuting, e-professionals, call centers even office hostelling or hot-desking. All of these venues are changing our lifestyle standards again and there is a rapid rise in trying to adapt to these many changes in our daily lifestyles standards.