MsJag4Jag
Moderator
==============
The Good Wife: 1950s-style
by Shannon Kish
The following is an excerpt from a 1950s high school Home Economics Textbook. As far as I can tell there is no author; I suspect this is mainly because, at least in this day and age, anonymity would be the only thing keeping this person from being run out of town on a rail by wives and mothers everywhere! After I read it, and finished laughing (some several hours later), I thought a rewrite, an updated 1990s kind of version, was most definitely needed. I offer you both versions here. Enjoy!
How To Be A Good Wife (from the original)
Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home, and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed. (Don't stop now, the fun has just begun!)
Prepare yourself. Take fifteen minutes to rest so that you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair, and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day might need a lift.
Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. (Yes, I was gagging too!)
Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces. If they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing their part.
Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Greet him with a smile and be glad to see him.
Some don'ts: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Make him comfortable. Have him sit back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing, and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind. (Right about here the convulsions of laughter became uncontrollable.)
Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first. Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead try to understand his world of strain and pressures, his need to be home and relax.
The Goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.
The Good Wife: 1950s-style
by Shannon Kish
The following is an excerpt from a 1950s high school Home Economics Textbook. As far as I can tell there is no author; I suspect this is mainly because, at least in this day and age, anonymity would be the only thing keeping this person from being run out of town on a rail by wives and mothers everywhere! After I read it, and finished laughing (some several hours later), I thought a rewrite, an updated 1990s kind of version, was most definitely needed. I offer you both versions here. Enjoy!
How To Be A Good Wife (from the original)
Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home, and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed. (Don't stop now, the fun has just begun!)
Prepare yourself. Take fifteen minutes to rest so that you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair, and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day might need a lift.
Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. (Yes, I was gagging too!)
Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces. If they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing their part.
Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Greet him with a smile and be glad to see him.
Some don'ts: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Make him comfortable. Have him sit back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing, and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind. (Right about here the convulsions of laughter became uncontrollable.)
Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first. Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead try to understand his world of strain and pressures, his need to be home and relax.
The Goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.
