Teen Scene 1953

Note; this comes from a 1953 Family Circle article on New Years resolutions for teens.

                                               TEEN SCENE

Young Ladies first

1. I will buy an egg timer to limit the time of my phone calls this year. (Hint to mom and pop: how about charging me a nickle a minute overtime and thus helping to pay the
phone bill)

2. I will make my parties easier on the family by shopping for supplies myself -and not
20 minutes before the guests are due. I will harness some of the available manpower to
straighten things up after a party.

3. I will introduce the gentle art of discussion into our house instead of (a) ranting,
(b) sulking, and (c) being defiant when things arent going my way.

4.  I will  have the courage to express my own opinions instead of changing like a weather
vane to please every male I go out with.

5. I will reserve my goodnight kisses for the one or two boys I'm fondest of, ignoring
such obsolete advice as "It's allright to kiss a boy after the third date."

6. I will praise boys for worthy endeavors -for doing well in a ball game or the school
play-and stop applauding such childlike behavior such as speeding, clowing in public
places and heckling the teacher.

7. I will try to think of the library as a gateway to many worlds and make use of its
facilities with the friendly help of the librarian.

8. I will experiment with one new extracurricular activity on the chance that I've been
missing out on a whole lot of fun.

9. I will try to realize that my teachers are my friends and I will get to know them
better, confident that they have much more to give me than my ABC's.


The Masculine Resolutions

1. I will paste a note on my mirror as a reminder to do my chores so that mom needn't
beat me over the head to get them done.

2. In addition to helping the family by washing and polishing the car, shoveling snow,
mowing the lawn and doing my other chores, I will make it a point of trying to contribute
to family discussions with well thought out ideas on everything from politics to home
decoration.

3. Instead of increasing the rioting among the younger members of the family by
belittling them or shouting at them, I will show the small fry a few tricks I've learned
about getting along with people-like giving in occasionally or praising their
accomplishments.

4. I will not let Uncle Sams hot breath on the back of my neck interfere with my focus
on studies, realizing that knowledge is power whether in service or in civilian live.

5. I will go out for at least one sport such as swimming, skating, skiing or bowling-that I
can keep up after graduation.

6. I will cultivate tha habit of doing my least liked homework first.

7. I will avoid being lured into going steady by some boy crazy female or by a silly school custom, realizing that now's my time for looking 'em over.

8. I will turn up for dates with some sort of plan in mind for the evening. For example, if we're going visiting, I'll have made sure the visitees are at home before hand. If we're
movies bound, I will know ahead of time what's playing and when the show begins and ends. I'll be a bit flexible of course if she has something up her little sleeve.

9. I will stop thinking of kissing as a pastime, the way I did as an eighth grader, and
give it dignity and meaning by reserving it for my special girl.

Marrying in the 1950's

"Marrying young was like getting to a sale on the first day. God knows what,
if anything, would be left if you waited until you were twenty-five or
-six." Mary Cantwell

                                                    image from Shorpy

"A New York Times article in 1955 stated that "Not so long ago girls were expelled from college for marrying; now girls feel hopeless if they haven't a marriage at least in sight by commencement time." *

                                                  image from Square America

In the 1950's, Society encouraged and, in effect, pressured women to marry young. Because of the well defined roles of the time, with a woman expected to serve as a homemaker and mother, it wasn't deemed necessary for her to pursue a college degree and start a career. *

                                                image from Square America
In the 50's many women went to college simply to find a fast tracking mate
who would become a good provider. *

                                                 image from Square America

Society benefited economically from a high marriage rate, because that led to an increase in home construction, furnishings, and inevitably production of family related goods. *

                                                      image from Square America
                                                      
Even Seventeen Magazine printed stories and ads about purchasing wedding dresses and bedroom furniture. Teenaged girls were eager to realize the fantasy of a white wedding, a new house, dreamy furnishings and state of the art appliances. Others felt pressured and obligated to do the same as "all the other girls".*

                                                 image from Square America

As the decade progressed, many women figuratively raced to the altar. They felt compelled to snag one of the good men quickly, before all of them were taken. *

                                             image from square america

Sex was also an issue. In the 1950's, premarital sex was considered sinful, while unprotected sexual intercourse, in an era before the birth control pill, was a gamble few unmarried couples were willing to take. *

image from Wedding Bee

Marraige offered the only acceptable opportunity for young lovers to consummate their relationships. Due to a combination
of all of these factors, nearly half of all american brides by 1959 were all under the age of nineteen.*

                                                                     image from Wedding Bee


*information from "The Fifties Chronicle"