Check this out...a page from a 1950's Home Economics textbook, teaching young women how to be good wives!
1. 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 him, and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.
2. Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, 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 may need a lift.
3. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just 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.
4. 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 the part.
5. Minimize the noise: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.
Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.
6. hings to avoid: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.
7. Make him comfortable: Have him lean 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.
8. 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.
9. 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 pressure, his need to be home and relax.
10. The goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can relax.
Wow! What do you think? Can you imagine these instructions being in a present day textbook?
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7 comments:
thank goodness things have changed... This is just plain scary. Love the new look of the blog.
xo
Oh, Kori, I love this post! Although alot of the 'tips' are worded in a archaic way that we must take with a grain of salt, these are excellent suggestions that any wife OR husband could modernize and use in our everyday lives. We get so hung up in how something sounds to us, that we don't look closer at the message behind the somewhat outdated wording.
I completely agree Lily honey!!!! Kori xoxo
Ha, ha, ha.... Yes it sounds so bad but I understand what 'lily lemontree' is saying. The big difference now is that a lot of 'wives' work too. You have to also remember that just because it's written, doesn't mean that it was abided by, lol! I've seen magazine articles & blogs that are a representation of how we should be in this day and, for a lot of us it's very far from reality. In saying that: I actually do a few things on this list but my husband is more interested in spending time with me and the kids than having a little rest. lol! Nice post. :)
O-M-G! So funny!! This kind of preparation only goes for hosting a party nowadays!
Oh Kori, this one is classic! Love it! #7 is my favorite. ~Martha
Wait, you mean that's not what you're supposed to do?
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