August 18, 2009

In less than two weeks, I'll be celebrating my 18th wedding anniversary. I just realized that's exactly twice as many years as I was married the first time! 🙂

That really makes me sound old. Of course, I was a young teenager right out of high school when I got married the first time.  I still don't know why we thought that was such a great idea…

If I had grown up in the 50s, I probably never would have gotten married. “The Good Wife's Guide” was supposedly published in a 1955 Home Economics textbook intended for high school girls to teach them how to be prepared for married life.

Apparently, this has been circulating for a while now, but I'd never seen it until a couple of weeks ago when our friend, C, gave us a copy.

Housekeeping Monthly May 13, 1955

Disclaimer:  You can check out Snopes if you want to see what they say about this article. The graphic that we were given, that was supposedly reproduced from a 1955 Housekeeping Monthly publication, has been proven to be a fabrication. The question is whether the piece quoted above really came from a home economics textbook. Snopes says that it's undetermined.

“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 be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal 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. Run a dust cloth over the tables.

• During 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.

• Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. 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.

• 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 at work.

• Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him 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, 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.

Seriously? Wouldn't you really like to know if this was really published in a high school textbook?

~LilSis