For those of us who long for the old days when men were men and women were obedient wives, here is look back to May 1955, Courtesy of Housekeeping Monthly. There are 18 guiding suggestions for the perfect wife. I’ve listed a few of them here and more can be found at the link.
- 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 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.
- A good wife always knows her place.
With so many husbands being out of work in the current economy, I wonder if a revised set of guidelines would be taken on with nostalgic enthusiasm by the hubsters? Wives addressing their mates at the end of the work day,
“Honey, arrange my pillows, remove my shoes and speak to me in a low, soothing and pleasant voice. You have no idea of what I’ve been through today.
Oh, and that little bow in your hair? Nice touch.” 😉
RV, I love it! Thanks for starting my weekend with a big smile. I’m of an age that I do remember women my mother’s age who practiced those rules. They took great pride in making a happy place for their hard-working spouse when he returned from his labors each evening. Freshly scrubbed, obedient, happy kids were part of that equation. Yeah, I know – it was a simpler time, but that’s OK. I read the list to my wife and, as we both chuckled about it, she commented that it perfectly described her home in the 50s and 60s.
Any smart wife which wants a plenty of an attention and the sex would behave the same way.
You should read “The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands” by Laura Schlessinger (Author)
And for you RED I recommend title “Ten Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives” from the same author.
FYI, I have presented Claudia Alvarez with same book during council meeting in 2008.
Pot Stirrer,
I’m glad you liked it 😉
I loved this one: “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”!
Or this:
“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.”
Simplier time, for sure. But so lopsided! lol
Hey Stanley,
Thanks for the book recommendations. That Master/submissive thing certainly is appealing to many.
I don’t think my life is a mess, so not sure what you think I’d get out of that particular book.
Well, ya know — it is so much better now with women “aspiring” to have kids out of wedlock by the largest number in history (often with multiple fathers & have the taxpayers pay for it); it is so much better now that men can do nothing right; it is much better that women now have to work instead of having a choice; it is so much better now that so many women have abortions of convenience to avoid having that traditional 1950s family they no longer want; it is so much better that we have a huge increase in divorces; it is so much better now that schools are teaching our children about sex of any kind rather than learning it a traditional family setting; it is so much better now that same-sex people can adopt someone else’s child or go to a sperm bank; it is so much better now that the word “housewife” has become a mantle for promiscuous wives and that “homemaker” now means a state employee who goes out and cleans for senior citizens; it is so much better that women’s lib has done away with the double-standard (where women’s sexual indiscretions hurt her reputation, but not a man’s) by demanding the right to be equally sexually promiscuous with an equal lack of guilt; it is better that the moral values of the 1950’s no longer have anything to do with the training of today’s children and marital relationships (the Bible — that’s where they got all that silly stuff about obedient kids and respectful wives, you know. Wasn’t it silly.); it is so much better that parental rights have deteriorated and that our daughters can get directed to an abortion clinic by the school councilor without the parents knowing; it is so much better that schools increasingly are doing strip-searches of our daughters if they think she may be hiding Ibuprofen in her vagina …..
Thank goodness the 1950’s housewife is a thing of the past.
Yeah. The trade-offs are worth it.
Excuse me Harriet but what man around here gave you permission to have an opinion?
Hey. I get enough of that smart aleck mouthiness from my old husband. 🙂
Smart aleck: An impudent or obnoxiously self-assertive individual, a wise guy, as in New teachers often have a hard time coping with the smart alecks in their classes. This expression, dating from the mid-1800s, probably alluded to a person of this description who was named Alec or Alexander, but HIS IDENTITY HAS BEEN LOST. (In other words a 1950s husband).
lol, Harriet!
I found some great 50’s educational movies, too. You might remember seeing some of them:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=DB79E2C2DF927700&search_query=mental%20hygiene%20films&page=2
Dating Do’s and Dont’s, Table manners, Your thrift habits etc….
*A Good Emily Post:
http://www.amazon.com/Emily-Posts-Etiquette-16th-Peggy/dp/0062700782
Teaches which fish knife to use when your wife
kicks you in the leg…when you are being mouthy!
You know, I used to think that this kind of thing was silly and beneath women. Now that I am a housewife, it’s not so silly anymore. Maybe my husband is of the 1950’s mentality, but he wants dinner on the table (or close to being ready) when he walks through the door. He wants his kids dressed and presentable, and the house to be free of clutter. He has also asked that I not jump on him with problems as soon as he comes through the door. He wants to unwind and eat dinner first. Now that I have seen the marriage both ways (1950’s-ish and modern), I have to say that this is the best way! It’s harmonious and full of love. The only “rule” that I absolutely DO NOT agree with is that his topics for conversation are better than mine or that my problems are trivial. You should be able to talk to your husband without feeling like you are burdening him. He provided me with my home and my children…the least I can do is take care of both to the best of my ability.
Check, check and check thank you so much I was worried that I wasn’t being a good girl recently because well I’m pregnant and have been very moody as of late and James understands that he does he’s even allowed me to have a chair for corner time but has made it clear when the twins are born I will be standing up once again but I’m so glad to know that I still am what my fiancé turned me into and that’s not just a good wife it’s an obedient wife even though I’m not the wife part yet I still am the obedient part, I wasn’t always I mean what girl is born lady right but James was determined to tame and train me until I was willing to serve his every whim and serve I do. As I read that list I was happy because either I do all of it already or in a few years I will be doing it. Even though he was only 15 when we met it came very natural to him to help me surrender to his authority and don’t think me being 13 I was easy to control no way I protested and was very unruly but he wasn’t taking no for an answer and to my surprise I found that as sexy as hell (still do) oh speaking off hell, don’t think this is a religious thing no, I was raised Christian but James laid down the law and now I am an agnostic and happy to be one I mean it’s a wife’s place to believe what her husband believes and I do including the well founded belief when I act up I am to be turned over his knee and disciplined a belief I might was acceptable not 60 years ago and practically mandatory not 100 years ago, yes times change but biology doesn’t and ask any good husband and he’ll tell he feels the instinct to protect he’s wife and ask any properly cared for wife she’ll tell you she feels safer when her husband is home so a few unruly “ladies” (although you can’t be a lady until you love, honor and obey) in the 50s cannot change millions of years of evolution so that’s my story my name is Elle Campbell and as all girls should (and want to) and all guys need them to, I live a life in deference to my man.
From: James’wife