Tuesday, July 25, 2006
The Good Wife's Guide
You gals think you have it tough? Take a gander at the following article that appeared in Housekeeping Monthly on May 13, 1955, when I was a young bride. From the spelling, I suppose it was written in England. (by a man?)
The Good Wife's Guide
- Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. 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 prospect of a good meal (especially his favourite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.
-Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll 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 for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
-Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives.
-Gather up school books, toys, paper, etc. and then run a dust cloth over the tables.
-Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
-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. Minimise all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.
-Be happy to see him.
-Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
-Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first. Remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
-Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.
-Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.
-Don't greet him with complaints and problems.
-Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.
-Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink waiting for him.
-Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
-Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
-A good wife always knows her place.
* * *
So how does that grab you?
My husband, a heavy equipment operator, came home at night exhausted and covered with several layers of dirt. I gladly catered to his every whim, took care of the five kids, house, yard, garden, cow and, sometimes, the whole farm.
When the last child was grown and gone off to the navy, I accompanied Hubby to the construction site and eventually became a heavy equipment operator myself. When I saw how easy it was, compared to raising kids, dreams of those frustrating early days began to torture me each night.
That's not to say that Harry's job was easy. He went in a run, even on a machine, doing as much work as three ordinary guys, under constant tension. He pushed himself unmercifully, for reasons known only to him. As you can imagine, he was never fired from a job, and was considered the very best in his profession.
But even he knew that a woman's job was something he could never handle. He did not expect unquestioning obedience from a subservient female. We were loving partners in marriage,farming, every undertaking, and he was always full of praise and respect for anything I did.
Working with him was a great experience for me, seeing what an artist he was with his motor grader, and the respect he earned from all the guys he was associated with. One man in Abilene stood watching him one day and commented, "He makes it look too easy."
I'm glad we were too poor to buy guilt trip magazines such as the above.
Cora Gail Trent
www.cgtrent.com
The Good Wife's Guide
- Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. 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 prospect of a good meal (especially his favourite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.
-Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll 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 for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
-Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives.
-Gather up school books, toys, paper, etc. and then run a dust cloth over the tables.
-Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
-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. Minimise all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.
-Be happy to see him.
-Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
-Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first. Remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
-Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.
-Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.
-Don't greet him with complaints and problems.
-Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.
-Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink waiting for him.
-Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
-Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
-A good wife always knows her place.
* * *
So how does that grab you?
My husband, a heavy equipment operator, came home at night exhausted and covered with several layers of dirt. I gladly catered to his every whim, took care of the five kids, house, yard, garden, cow and, sometimes, the whole farm.
When the last child was grown and gone off to the navy, I accompanied Hubby to the construction site and eventually became a heavy equipment operator myself. When I saw how easy it was, compared to raising kids, dreams of those frustrating early days began to torture me each night.
That's not to say that Harry's job was easy. He went in a run, even on a machine, doing as much work as three ordinary guys, under constant tension. He pushed himself unmercifully, for reasons known only to him. As you can imagine, he was never fired from a job, and was considered the very best in his profession.
But even he knew that a woman's job was something he could never handle. He did not expect unquestioning obedience from a subservient female. We were loving partners in marriage,farming, every undertaking, and he was always full of praise and respect for anything I did.
Working with him was a great experience for me, seeing what an artist he was with his motor grader, and the respect he earned from all the guys he was associated with. One man in Abilene stood watching him one day and commented, "He makes it look too easy."
I'm glad we were too poor to buy guilt trip magazines such as the above.
Cora Gail Trent
www.cgtrent.com
