Today on the show we uncovered some archaic “tips” from a 1950’s era Home Economics book on “How to properly look after your husband”.
Let's analyze these tips and see if we can salvage any of these thoughts from back in the day, and if I get through this and still remain married.
- Have dinner ready. I don’t hate this one, although some of the language from the home ec. Book includes, “a delicious meal is a way of showing him that you have been thinking about his needs”. This cracks me up. Now, I get home from work around 1PM (pre-Covid days) and I can’t think of the last time there was meatloaf in the oven at that time.
- Prepare Yourself. Oh boy: rest, prepare for his arrival with makeup, a ribbon in your hair. Be a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift. My thoughts: If I came home from work and Gina was wearing makeup and a ribbon in her hair, I’d think she was having an affair.
- Clear away the clutter. Make sure nothing is laying around, kids toys, books etc. and run a dust cloth over the furniture. Gina, “Yeah, I’ll get right on that”. “Honey, I’m almost home, have you dusted?” I don’t remember my Mom dusting in the early 60’s. She was sitting around in a house coat, smoking Pall Mall’s and eating coffee cake with the housewife next dooer.
- Prepare the children. Wash their hands and faces and comb their hair, Daddy is coming home. What, and have them stand at the door with my martini and the Wall Street Journal? How about getting them to look up from their phone for a minute to acknowledge me?
- Minimize all noise. Turn off the dishwasher, vacuum and encourage the kids to be quiet when he arrives* Ok, this one I would like to ad and addendum to: I don’t care about the dishwasher, but if you’re watching The Real Housewives, please shut them up when I come home.
- Some Don’ts: Don’t greet him with problems or complaints: “Can you believe my Sister, she blah blah blah, you might as well be speaking another language…gimee a few minutes, then lay that stuff on me! B) don’t complain if he’s home late for dinner (yeah, Hooters was packed); imagine what he has gone through that day. Yeah, Heather was brutal.
- Make him comfortable. Have a drink ready for him, tell him to lie down, offer to take off his shoes and speak in a low soothing voice. Ok, I can’t believe there wasn’t a Male /Female war in 1950.
Guys, Our Parents and Grandparents were living on a different planet.