How To Be A Good Wife

[Bewitched]

I just read this for school and my thoughts are :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: In the words of Darryl Kerrigan "Tell him he's dreamin"...

HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE
Home Economics High School Text Book, 1954


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 prospect of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 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 may need a lift.

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the home just before your husband arrives, gather up schoolbooks, 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.

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.

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. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad he is home.

Some don'ts: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he is late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day. 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.

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 (:eek: ). Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax :barf:

The Goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

[Mamalicious]

That is so OTT!!

But what's even funnier, is that KNOW DH would be ECSTATIC if that was what he came home to!

It's as close as it's getting baby!

[secondtimearound2]

:laughing: :laughing:
Oops I fail miserably :p

*quickly gets out of here before hubby reads

[declansmum]

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: I FAIL ASWELL

[Tam-I-Am]

Seriously? I don't think there's anything wrong with partners doing nice things for each other. I think its wrong when its expected as a matter of course that one person's needs and desires will be subservient to the other's though, and that's what that passage is all about - the woman become subservient to the man. THAT'S not on...

I actually DO try to make sure that the house is tidy, the bubba is dressed nicely and playing quietly and happily, dinner is ready or nearly so, and I do these things reasonably often - BUT if I don't, its not big hassle or stress, and my DH also does those things for ME if I've been at work all day and he's been at home...

[summermummy]

i love it. i think i was one of those women in a former life, as i would love to do all it says, however I can't be.......well.........bothered!

[SassyMummy]

My Nan showed me a book full of stuff a couple of years back.. I actually think it contained a page which was, pretty much, word for word of the OP. My Nan is in her 70s, so it's possible it's from the same text book!

TBH, there's no way in hell I'd take off DPs smelly shows or SOMEHOW manage to make DD quiet for his arrival...

I don't think many of hte ideas are that bad, but ALL COMBINED it makes for husband being the "be all and end all" and the wife coming across as his lowly servant.

[SpecialMumma]

*makes the big "woow woow" noise for failing* :laughing:

[~Bec~]

My Mum was a wife and mother in the 1950s and I can't imagine she would have done any of this!

[Pippi Longstocking]

My husband just read it and leered and nudged me in the shoulder at the "be a little gay" part. :rolleyes: :laughing:

Bloody men!

[TyBean]

*makes the big "woow woow" noise for failing* :laughing:

haha I reckon!!!

Tyler is NEVER clean.. within seconds he is a mess.... so no point there....

Dinner...well that gets done when Jason gets home so he can shower and feed T so he doesn't burn himself or hurt himself on anything I need to use... and I don't getfrustrated tripping over him..

Clean house...hmm... well once T is in bed I will pack up his mess... no use doing it when he is awake as its only upended in point 2 seconds anyway!!!...

My goodness...I am a shcoking wifey!!!! :eek: :laughing:

[summermummy]

to put a serious spin on this.I'm curious, does anyone work to a roster for house work? what are the things that 'must be done' every day?? or do most do a 'big clean' once a week?

[SassyMummy]

I have a nice little Housework Roster sitting on the fridge. I think I used it for one week though... and from then on, it just sits there and doesn't even get looked at...:o :laughing:

[summermummy]

love it!!!! hey why goodbye charlie?

[Bewitched]

to put a serious spin on this.I'm curious, does anyone work to a roster for house work? what are the things that 'must be done' every day?? or do most do a 'big clean' once a week?

I don't do anything religiously really. I like to have the 'general' jobs done each day, such as laundry and dishes etc but it doesnt always go to plan!
The 'big clean' generally gets done each Saturday morning (scrub showers, change sheets etc, but sometimes uni work delays this by a few days!).

[SassyMummy]

love it!!!! hey why goodbye charlie?

Just a "LOST" related Avatar... it relates to Charlie's death at the end of Season 3. I might change it now actually... it's been there for a while now...

[Bewitched]

My husband just read it and leered and nudged me in the shoulder at the "be a little gay" part. :rolleyes: :laughing:

Bloody men!

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

[summermummy]

hmmm i'm the same. tonight after work i get to go home and clean after my dd 2nd b'day party, that turned into a bit of a Aria watching Crown lager drinking game!! fun!! unless dh who never cleans has performed a miracle..... i remember this morning seeing remnants of Elmo cake mixed with deflated balloons, empty crownies and m&m packets!!!

[summermummy]

got it sassy!

[squiglet]

I have read a good housewife book like that too. It was a bit difrent though.
Some things included were.
Not to talk to your husband about your day as it would bore him. (there was a lot of advice like this, quite maddening)
Let your husband talk about his day and be attentive. (only polite I guess, but not being able to talk back?)
Have slippers, newspaper and pipe ready for his arival home.
when dinner is finnished clear and do the dishes quickly so your husband will not feel as if he has to do them.


I have to say that I do a bit of the good housewife bit. Keep the house clean and always rush out with dd to wave to dh when he gets home from work. I'm happy to see him.
Have to say I certainly do not put a ribbon in my hair and feel refreshed after doing a quick run round the house tidying. Dh is greeted by a scruffy wife with spew and bm stained pj's on and a baby handed quickly over to I can have a moment without her.

[pinkprincess_84]

I have to say that I do a bit of the good housewife bit. Keep the house clean and always rush out with dd to wave to dh when he gets home from work. I'm happy to see him.
Have to say I certainly do not put a ribbon in my hair and feel refreshed after doing a quick run round the house tidying. Dh is greeted by a scruffy wife with spew and bm stained pj's on and a baby handed quickly over to I can have a moment without her.

:laughing: :laughing: I like it, on my days off i am the same!!!

[Rainbowbrite]

When i'm not pg, i'm a pretty good housewife. Not that its expected of me, I just don't like a messy house. That means MJ looks nice, house is tidy, dinner is preped ready to cook etc. I just find that I get so much more done when DH isn't home :o

[reAllytee]

Seriously? I don't think there's anything wrong with partners doing nice things for each other. I think its wrong when its expected as a matter of course that one person's needs and desires will be subservient to the other's though, and that's what that passage is all about - the woman become subservient to the man. THAT'S not on...

I actually DO try to make sure that the house is tidy, the bubba is dressed nicely and playing quietly and happily, dinner is ready or nearly so, and I do these things reasonably often - BUT if I don't, its not big hassle or stress, and my DH also does those things for ME if I've been at work all day and he's been at home...

Same !

Although of course there are days when nothing gets done & its no big deal !



to put a serious spin on this.I'm curious, does anyone work to a roster for house work? what are the things that 'must be done' every day?? or do most do a 'big clean' once a week?

I try to but with a new bubba that has reflux & a healous spirited toddler it can be hard these days. I think its easier to work to a roster as its not such a big hassle to do a clean for the week then.

Im like RB though i love & thrive on a clean house so thats why i like doing it this way.

[Rachael]

Sounds exactly how my Nana was with my Grandad back in those days and even a bit these days.

I feel it is incredibly sad how all our grandmothers/mothers allowed themselves to be treated.

[lilpearl]

OMG, that was totally :barf: worthy!

I clean and cook dinner, and do try to get the kids calm before my DH walks int he door - but only because that is a decent HUMAN thing to do, and something which I appreciate when I am the one walking throught he door. BUT, the work of a man doesn't stop when he walks in the door :no: , just as it does not stop for a woman at that time.....man! I know my day is a hell of a lot more stressful than sitting in an office answering phones, and I'm damn well gonna complain about it when my DH gets home, too :yes: :laughing:

[Lastcenturymum]

Someone sent this to me recently too. My how times have changed! Imagine being so 'stuffy'. Even in those days he'd probably rather be greeted by her in her corset, suspended belt and pumps:laughing:

I think the copy I had also had something about 'if he doesn't come home, don't ask where he has been....':eek:

[Qube]

I read this same thing when I was in Yr 12 and was like, wtf?
But having said that I like a clean house, and I also try to show DH that I appreciate being a sahm. But there are days when I am too busy playing blocks with DS to be bothered about much more than the essentials

[mum2bubba]

I posted a thread like this last year I think. Its funny. Imagine if it was like this today. I'd shoot myself.

[lilpearl]

I posted a thread like this last year I think. Its funny. Imagine if it was like this today. I'd shoot myself.

Well....women relied on "mothers little helpers", and I can certainly imagine why!