We were kicked out of the house when my mom left for work, rain or shine. If we stayed in, we did chores. My mom was a SAHM my early childhood, and when she worked, the household was kept to the same standards. I had all sorts of daily chores that needed to be completed, or else. I generally elected to leave the house. The bookmobile came once a week to the strip mall near our house, and I would bike up and bring back a load of books. We also had friend’s mothers who were home, and taught us to cook. We belonged to a swim club that was about 6 miles away, and we’d bike there. Once I was 13, I had a regular babysitting job during the summer—20 hours a week, 50 cents an hour, three kids, one in diapers. I had to bring my own lunch and snacks. I also had 5 -6 lawn cutting jobs that paid $2 – $5 each. If my mother was home, and I wanted to read, I would have to take the book and climb a tree, where she couldn’t get me.