1955 Housekeeping Article
October 31, 2006 by Karen Weideman
Filed under entertainment, marriage, odds and ends
It is undetermined if this article is real, but it certainly is funny. Thought you wives and moms could use a little something funny today. It is supposed to be from a 1950’s home economics textbook intended for high school girls, teaching them how to prepare for married life.
Click the link below if you are having problems reading the small print. Enjoy! 
1. Have dinner ready: Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal — on time. 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 prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.
2. Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, 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. His boring day may need a lift.
3. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.
4. 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.
5. Minimize the noise: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.
6. Some Don’ts: Don’t greet him with problems or complaints. Don’t complain if he’s late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.
7. Make him comfortable: Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie 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, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.
8. Listen to him: You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.
9. Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment; instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.
10. The goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can relax.
i guess i’ll be the weird one and say i’m not *that* offended by this article, old-fashioned though it may be. while i don’t do every single thing listed here, and most certainly not every night, i think it’s a good reminder to us of just how much a home’s atmosphere is dependent on us. correct me if i’m wrong but IMO in most households, the WIFE sets the tone. (a more recent saying would be “if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.) i’m not a man, but i would think a happy and cheerful wife would be more of a joy to come home to versus a grumpy, complaining one. i speak from experience here:D as wives there is much we can do to bring harmony, love, peace and joy into the home just by the little things we do, and fortunately we don’t even have to be a doormat to do that!
I’m not offended by them either, although I do think some of them are funny. For me, trying to work part-time from home, blog, take care of two small children, and the household responsibilities is a big task. I wish someone would keep the house quiet and have dinner ready for me every now and then.
I think this is hilarious. It actually is offensive, in my mind, in that it suggests that the husband has no responsibilities for the house and should be sheltered from the messiness of domestic life. I’m guessing the husband depicted here could not be left alone with the children for a weekend while mom takes a break with her friends.
Also, if mom is the one isolated at home, she’s going to need to talk first. Dad needs to learn that her struggles to get the dryer fixed are just as important as his work. He gets to talk to adults all day.
Man, for one day, just one, I’d like to really go for it and do all that!
Well it would be nice if i could do all this but my man don’t work he just lays on the couch i have a full time job working sometimes 50-60 hrs a week sometimes more. I still have to clean he however does sometimes cook but heck the mess he leave isn’t really worth it. What should i do say with a smile on my face don’t worry about nothing hunny i’ll do every thing you just lay there and watch you soaps lol!!!!