By Georgia Osten
At breakfast the other morning, we were sitting at Waffle House with our daughter and son-in-law talking about an article the kids had read in an Extract from 1950 Home Economics Book – Tips to Look After Your Husband!
Unbelievable, unless you happened to be around back then. I happened to be around back then, go figure.

10 Helpful Hints (may contain a bit of sarcasm coming from me)

• Plan a Good Meal – Maybe plan ahead, he’s hungry when he gets home. Let him know you’ve been thinking about him. Me: this is why I love Hello Fresh, my husband loves to cook these.

• Prepare yourself – Be rested – take a nap. Freshen your makeup, put a little bow in your hair. Me: I love the “take a nap” part, haven’t worn a bow in my hair since I was 5 years old.

• Clear away the clutter – Run a dust cloth over the furniture. Your husband has reached his haven. Me: All I do is make sure the couch is protected before he plops down.

• Prepare the children – wash their little hands and comb their hair. Don’t forget “they’re his treasures.” Me: When we had little tikes running around, my husband loved it when they jumped all over him, welcoming him home. And no, I didn’t wash their grimy little hands.

• Minimize all noise – eliminate all noise from washer, vacuum & dishwasher. Make the children be quiet. Me: the dishwasher starts right after dinner, the washer can be started at any moment during the day or night and the vacuum is necessary because of our precious Fur Baby! Nobody’s quiet, especially the Fur Baby!

• Some don’ts – don’t greet him with complaints, he may have had a rough day. Me: I don’t wait til he gets home, if I have something to complain about, he’ll get a phone call!

• Make him comfortable – Have him lean back in his comfortable chair, have a drink ready, take his shoes off for him. Me: His shoes are the first thing he takes off and they’ll end up by the front door. I take them to his closet.

• Listen to him – Let him talk first. Me: Are you kidding me?

• Make the evening his – never complain if he doesn’t take you out, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to come home to relax. Me: OMG, I give up!

• The Goal – Make your home peaceful and orderly. A place your husband can feel renewed in body & spirit. Me: Renewal equals his Old Fashioned, right after he pours me a glass of wine.

I must admit, I don’t even remember my mother and father acting like this back in the day. The weirdest thing I remember is my mother ironing my Dad’s underwear. Now, that’s a whole nuther story.

I suppose times may have changed a bit since the 50’s, thank goodness!

[GO: Jan-23-2024]