The following is true and is from a 1950's Home Economics textbook
intended for High School girls, teaching them how to prepare
for
married life.
> > ***********************************************************
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 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.
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
schoolbooks, 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 and 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.