The good wife's guide ( Archived) (9)

What do you think about this? Times have changed. Ladies, your responses appreciated...

The good wife's guide

*By WES SWIETEK *
Herald-Citizen Staff

The Mideast appears to be headed toward even more mayhem, perhaps even a
regional war.

Gas prices are shooting up faster than the temperatures.

It's campaign season.

Anyone for a little levity?

The following advice actually appeared in a May 13, 1955 edition of a
magazine called /Housekeeping Monthly /under the headline: "The good
wife's guide."

The following morsels of wisdom are not made up, and, in order to
preserve my health, are presented with no comment:

*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 favorite 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 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.

*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, caring for
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. Minimize 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.

*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 home 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 ready for him.

*Arrange his pillows 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. /

Husband and wife ? A bit out of date .. Partners for life .. And they are just like men these days .. I have started calling them ' brother '.. There are no more women left

definitely my kind of woman ... got any sisters????

Yea but she's gay! NOt kidding........She's really gay. Not happy....... Gay. I think you get the picture!

Excuse me a moment....

"Remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours."




I'd really like to see the issue that supposedly contains this. Some of it rings true of that era and into the '60s but a lot of it I think is a bit "much," even for those days.

All I know is if I was a married woman back then I'd probably be a widow.

Her at home didn't work; We didn't have enough money. Her at work didn't work; We had no babysitter. Babysitters are very expensive. Who trusts them? When the wife or mom goes on strike? I think that Stephen King horror book isn't out, yet. I tried that one time where she was working and I stayed at home. Talk about motivation to get a job, oh my, I had a job in no time at all, lol.

This must be where the Stepford wives came from.