The lives of husbands, wives, and children in small-producer families were characterized by an intense work ethic and a blurring of boundaries between work and family life. An informant recounted the daily routine in her family's laundry business during the 1930s and 1940s, where the household consisted of her parents and four children. The work day started at 7:00 in the morning and did not end until midnight, six days a week. Except for school and a short nap in the afternoon, the children worked the same hours as their parents, doing their homework between midnight and 2:00 A.M. Tasks were given out determined by age and gender. Young children performed the most simple tasks such as folding socks and wrapping parcels, while older children ironed handkerchiefs and underwear. The mother operated the collar and cuff press, while the father hand-ironed shirts and uniforms. On Sundays, most families attend church in the mornings and relax in the afternoons. The split-household and small-producer family structures show the amazing strength and adaptability of Chinese American families in navigating the restrictions that were imposed on them by legal, economic, and social