How to be the Perfect Wife

The following appeared in a magazine in 1950. Maybe the ladies on the board can benefit from it. :sillySmiley:

How to be the Perfect Wife.

GET YOUR WORK DONE

Plan your tasks with an eye on the clock. Finish or interrupt them an hour before he is expected. Your anguished cry, "Are you home already?" is not exactly a warm welcome.

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.

PREPARE YOURSELF

Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. This will also make you happy to see him instead of too tired to care. Turn off the worry and be glad to be alive and grateful for the man who is going to walk in. While you are resting you can be thinking about your Fascinating Womanhood assignment and all you can do to make him happy and give his spirits a lift. When you arise, take care of your appearance. 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 house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. in a bucket or wastebasket and put them in the back bedroom for sorting later. Then run a dustcloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order and it will give you a lift too. Having the house in order is another way of letting him know that you care and have planned for this homecoming.

PREPARE THE CHILDREN

Take just 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 look the part.

MINIMIZE ALL NOISE

Especially give heed to this if your husband has to join rush hour traffic. At the time of his arrival eliminate noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet at the time of their father's arrival. Let them be a little noisy beforehand to get it out of their system.

BE HAPPY TO SEE HIM

Greet him with a warm smile and act glad to see him. Tell him that it is good to have him home. This may make his day worthwhile. If there is any romance left in you, he needs it now.

SOME DON'TS
Don't greet him with problems and complaints. Solve the problems you can before he gets home and save those you must discuss with him until later in the evening.
Also, don't complain if he is late for dinner. Count this as a minor problem when compared with what he might have gone through that day.
Don't allow the children to rush at him with problems or requests. Allow them to briefly greet their father but save demands for later.

MAKE HIM COMFORTABLE

Have him lean back into 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 massage his neck and shoulders and take off his shoes. Don't insist on this however. Turn on music if it is one of his pleasures. Speak in a soft, soothing, pleasant voice. Allow him to relax - to 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, then he will be a more responsive listener later.

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 to relax. If he is cross or irritable, never fight back. Again, try to understand his world of strain.

THE GOAL

Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit. He will rather be with you than with anyone else in the world and will spend whatever time he can possibly spare with you. Try living all of these rules for his homecoming and see what happens. This is the way to bring a man home to your side, not by pressure, persuasion or moral obligation.

I've read those before. I always thought the are great. I'm not sure about a guy posting them though..........

You just haven't found that perfect wife, huh Rob?!?! :Hahaha:

I've seen this printed in a magazine somewhere. I think it was an anniversary edition of Good Housekeeping. This would not fly in my house at all.

Rob,
You're going to need to find yourself one of those Stepford Wives. LOL!!!!!!!!!!

Savannah

I'm pretty sure "don't attack Rob" was one of those rules up there.

I saw a version of this a few years ago, an actual photocopy of the magazine article. It was even worse than this. It said things like, "Let your husband speak first. What he has to say is more important." And "Don't question him even if he stays out all night. He has his reasons."

Rob wrote:

I'm pretty sure "don't attack Rob" was one of those rules up there.

You're sure putting a lot of faith in the idea that we'll follow the rules, Xamin.

I think you posted the whole article on the old board, because I particularly remember that stunningly ridiculous "Don't question him if he stays out all night" part.


OH!! That "out all night" part reminds me of something that happened when I was little. My Dad was working second shift, and his boss asked him to work a double. At that time, none of the employees were allowed to use the phones. So, Dad agreed, on the condition that his boss would call my Mom and let her know what was going on. His boss agreed, and went back to his office, across the road. He called my Mom, just as he said he would..........But, of course, Dad didn't know that for CERTAIN, because he was working on the line...............So, around six in the morning, my Dad got home. He opened the front door, and there stood my Mom - BIG ol' cast iron frying pan in her hand, asking him "WHERE. Have. You. Been??" :Hahaha: My Dad said "I was so shocked, I couldn't think of the truth, let alone a lie!" :Hahaha:

Funny story!!

Savannah wrote:

I think you posted the whole article on the old board, because I particularly remember that stunningly ridiculous "Don't question him if he stays out all night" part.

I was thinking I'd posted it on that Andy Griffith board we used to go to. :think:

poor rob!

mybe rob like to be a wife for the day!

I've seen this article before too, and honestly, although some of the 'suggestions' are waaaaaay out of line, several things actually are good ideas and maybe the divorce rate wouldn't be so high if some of these were implemented. But they pertain to BOTH the man and woman. A marriage does take work and both spouses need to work harder than ever these days. Sometimes the simplest things go by the wayside.

This one in particular I think stands the test of time. Here again, I'm not refering to this being the 'wife's duty, but the marital duty. I'm going to change the quote a bit to reflect that:

Rob wrote:

The Goal:

Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband (or wife) can renew himself (or herself) in body and spirit. He (or she) will rather be with you than with anyone else in the world and will spend whatever time he (or she!!) can possibly spare with you. Try living all (some) of these rules for his (or her) homecoming and see what happens. This is the way to bring a man (or woman) home to your side, not by pressure, persuasion or moral obligation.

I absolutely 100% agree with this if it goes both ways. You know, honestly, not all things through feminsim have changed for the better. I'm not saying you have to be a Stepford wife to have a happy marriage, but we all know there are those people that stay at home and watch Jerry Springer and the soaps all day and never get one thing done, and the spouse comes home to a pit. I mean, it's true!! Now if you have kids from he**, I more than understand it, but I do think the overall need or desire to please your spouse (be it male or female) by making a pleasant environment to come home to at the end of the day is really lacking now-adays. There are just several things mentioned on that list (not all!!) that could be modified to actually be current for today's standards, IMO.

i agree amy

Rob wrote:

The following appeared in a magazine in 1950. Maybe the ladies on the board can benefit from it. :sillySmiley:

You're right Rob... Here I am building a bonfire to keep warm and any extra paper will benefit me to get this fire going.....

Amy wrote:

The Goal:

Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband (or wife) can renew himself (or herself) in body and spirit. He (or she) will rather be with you than with anyone else in the world and will spend whatever time he (or she!!) can possibly spare with you. Try living all (some) of these rules for his (or her) homecoming and see what happens. This is the way to bring a man (or woman) home to your side, not by pressure, persuasion or moral obligation.

I absolutely 100% agree with this if it goes both ways......

I agree Amy. I know of this couple who have a lot of problems and the main thing has to do w/ her not being clean or keeping the house clean. She's at home all the time and I have been to her house.... it's pretty scary...
The husband.... comes home from work tired and all.... and the home is just not a place where he can feel relaxed..... it's causes him more stress even.... not good....

They would not even have wanted me around during that time period! :shifty:

I've was never a homemaker, I always worked. I didn't, even if I had wanted
to, do anything like that.

Rob wrote:

I'm pretty sure "don't attack Rob" was one of those rules up there.

Well, since you aren't our husband, that rule does not apply to you.

So, let the attack begin!!!


:laser:

Carol wrote:

I agree Amy. I know of this couple who have a lot of problems and the main thing has to do w/ her not being clean or keeping the house clean. She's at home all the time and I have been to her house.... it's pretty scary...
The husband.... comes home from work tired and all.... and the home is just not a place where he can feel relaxed..... it's causes him more stress even.... not good....

Exactly! I'm not saying a house needs to be a showpiece or sth, (mine certainly isn't and it's not like I'm without clutter :unsure: ), but I do try very hard to make the environment nice not only for my hubby, but for the boys. It's important to me because I love them. I just see that desire lacking in a lot of people nowadays.

Amy wrote:

Carol wrote:

I agree Amy. I know of this couple who have a lot of problems and the main thing has to do w/ her not being clean or keeping the house clean. She's at home all the time and I have been to her house.... it's pretty scary...
The husband.... comes home from work tired and all.... and the home is just not a place where he can feel relaxed..... it's causes him more stress even.... not good....

Exactly! I'm not saying a house needs to be a showpiece or sth, (mine certainly isn't and it's not like I'm without clutter :unsure: ), but I do try very hard to make the environment nice not only for my hubby, but for the boys. It's important to me because I love them. I just see that desire lacking in a lot of people nowadays.

Awww you're a good wife and a mother, Amy!!



How about a list of How to be the Perfect Hubby??? :unsure:

Lily wrote:

How about a list of How to be the Perfect Hubby??? :unsure:

I'm glad you asked my friend!



With this lovely handbook, I'm sure Rob and others will learn a lot and master the art of husbandry.

LOL, love it Carol!! So cute!! And Christina, your post made me LOL...I can just see you, brushing up on all these tips before the wedding day! Just rememeber, the most important tip...always remember to be a little 'gay' when your husband comes home after all long day at work!