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Monday, February 5, 2007

Mama said there'd be days like this


I don't know how people do it! I've only got two kids, but somedays it just seems absolutely impossible to get anything done at all. As a stay at home mom, I've got three main responsibilities: take care of the kids, keep the house clean & make dinner. But there are definitely days when it feels like I would have to be "Super Mom" to accomplish all three of those tasks. Have you ever felt like this? Well, here are some tips I have gleaned from an article supposedly published in the magazine "Housekeeping Monthly" in 1955...

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.
5. 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.
6. Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.
7. Be happy to see him.
8. Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
9. 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.
10. Don't greet him with complaints and problems.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
14. 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.
15. A good wife always knows her place.

3 comments:

mama jo said...

i loved it! i feel really bad that i wasn't that good of a wife, i guess...no wonder tom died...he couldn't take it anymore...of course, i was always gay and happy for him, and i never ever complained to him,especially if he stayed out all night(what's up with that?) you children were always just sitting on the couch in a row with mouths in a smile..right? no wonder we have so many problems nowdays...the man is not treated like he should be...oh well...kel,i think if you do get dinner on the table...more power to you!

kathryn said...

hi kelly! welcome to the world of blogging...just another thing to add to your list of to-dos! ben had that same article on his fridge when he was single. said it was his check list for the "perfect wife". i either tricked him into thinking i fit the bill, or he gave up on finding anyone who would... who knows.

Travelin'Oma said...

I actually had a mom who was a lot like that! I remember her changing into a skirt just before Dad came home, and always having a good dinner prepared. Luckily she had perfect children, so there was no problem there!

Did a man or woman write this article? If it was a man I hope his wife left him and charged up all his credit cards. If it was a woman, she was working at a magazine and didn't have a clue! If you didn't kill your kids, it was a successful day.