Humor
How to be a
Good Wife
The following is excerpted from a 1958s high school Home
Economics textbook.
How To Be A Good Wife
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 of him and are concerned about his needs.
Most men are hungry when they come home and a well-prepared, warm
meal is a warm welcome home.
Prepare yourself. Take fifteen minutes to rest so that you will
be refreshed when he arrives. Tough up you 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.
Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's
hands and faces (if they are small), comb hair and, if necessary,
change their clothes. They are little treasures and he will like
to see them playing the part.
Minimize the 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.
Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and BE GLAD to
see him.
Some don'ts: Don't greet him with problems and complaints. Don't
complain if he is late for dinner. Count this as minor compared
to what he might have been through that day. Make him
comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest
that 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 low, soft and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax
and unwind. Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell
him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him speak
first!
Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out
to dinner or to other pleasant entertainment. Instead, try to
understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to unwind
and relax.
The goal: try to make your home a place of peace and order where
your husband can relax in body and spirit.
- Mark Farmer
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Updated 21 May 1997