Anyone who spends more time than they should on TikTok will be familiar with Nara Smith, the notorious ‘trad wife’ whose aesthetic videos show her making everything from scratch. My fascination with her content grew into envy — how can someone look so tranquil while making homemade toothpaste? The secret to her happiness surely lay in her trad wife lifestyle. So, entering my second month of summer with no deadlines in sight, I realised the world is my oyster: I would become a trad wife for a day … except that I’m not married, and I don’t have kids. Regardless, I embarked upon my mission to spend the day cooking, cleaning and looking dazzling while doing so.

“I would become a trad wife for a day … except that I’m not married, and I don’t have kids”

My day began at 5:30am, a shock to the system for someone who rarely surfaces before 9am (unless there’s a Hester Lees-Jeffries lecture scheduled). But how else would I make my family a nutritious breakfast from scratch? I showered, did my makeup, and put on my first summery dress since the week of heat in June, a contrast from the activewear I’d been living in for weeks. I felt immediately put together and ready to tackle the day.

Then came breakfast. I gathered my ingredients to make pancakes with Nutella (unfortunately not from scratch), and strawberries (from my grandma’s garden if that counts). I quickly realised that the gracefulness Nara shows in her cooking videos was something I could not replicate: very soon, my immaculate appearance was stained with a floury-eggy mixture. But I persevered, eventually ending up with two perfectly fluffy pancakes, three mediocre, and one which shall remain unmentioned. These were a hit with my mum and brother and even scored points with my poodle crossbreed dog, a basic pet to match my new, basic life.

As my mum headed to work and my brother left the house, it dawned on me what the next part of my day would involve: housework. I like to think I’m a generally tidy person, but when midday approached and I’d still not finished tidying my room, I realised that I need to try to live a little neater. By 3pm, the house was tidied, polished, and hoovered, and I was a sweaty mess, trying to enjoy my healthy salad. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning. My next challenge involved persuading my cousin to trust me with her two-year-old, who she was probably happy to be free of for a couple of hours.

“Just one day as a trad wife saw a drastic improvement in my living standards”

When I see Nara Smith with her four children, or Hannah Neeleman of Ballerina Farm with her eight (yes, eight) offspring, I couldn’t help but be slightly cocky in thinking ‘how hard can one toddler be? ’. Well, I was naive. A two-year-old is extremely hard to handle — crying when I would not let him play with the knife I was using to prepare dinner, crying when I would not give him chewing gum, but happy when he was playing with my dog’s toys. However, after an hour of attempting to figure out what makes toddlers happy, we hit a happy compromise: both engrossed in watching Moana. Sorry, Hannah, but cattle-rearing doesn’t always cut it: sometimes kids just need iPad time. After feeding him a pre-made meal (which he kindly spilled over my freshly cleaned floor) I said a relieved goodbye and began preparing my family’s evening meal.

After washing up, I was exhausted. Who knew the basic tasks of cooking and cleaning could be so tiring? I needed the relaxation of walking my dog and reading my book. Living this way, even for 24 hours, gave me a newfound respect for TikTok trad wives — how they do this every day while simultaneously filming content astounds me. I hardly checked my phone all day!

Although it pains me to admit, just one day as a trad wife saw a drastic improvement in my living standards. Who knew getting up early and being put together, rather than waking up at midday and spending the day in joggers, would make me feel more alert, active, and generally better about myself (pretending my mum hasn’t been telling me this for years…)? Even though I cannot replicate this lifestyle every day, it showed me that keeping tidy, eating well, and putting effort into how you present yourself can make the world of a difference in how you feel and your productivity. Though I’m far from the next Hannah Neeleman, I’m determined to bring some of these habits back to Cambridge in October, and become a happier, healthier version of myself. And, before you ask, yes I will be replicating Nara Smith’s monotone voice for the foreseeable.