Oh my gosh, just typing that title makes me cringe! lol.
Howdy folks and greetings from the Great Plains of North Texas!
I saw an article from Housekeeping Monthly published in May of 1955 and I about fell out of my chair. Part from shock and part from laughter. But mostly shock. My oh my have we changed as a society! In this instance, THANK GOD!
The family structure at the time
We have to remember that in 1955 the man was the income earner and the wife was expected to stay home, run the household and raise the kids.
And support the income earner at all costs or they could lose everything and miss out on the American Dream!
So women were trained to be good little servants. And this article gave them specific guidelines to follow in order to achieve the status of Good Wife.
Here we go with the Rules:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you’ll 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.
4. 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.
5. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc. and then run a dust cloth over the tables.
6. Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
7. 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.
8. Children are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.(lol. . good luck with that!)
9. Be happy to see him. Free him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him. Listen to him.
10. 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.
11. Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.
12. Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where you husband can renew himself in body and spirit.
13. Don’t greet him with complaints and problems.
14. Don’t complain if he’s late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.
15. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
16. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
17. 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.
18. And last but most importantly: A good wife always knows her place.
Ladies, if you follow all these rules religiously then YOU TOO could attain the title of Good Wife! IF your MASTER approves.
Holy Smokes! This is the most horrifying post I've ever done. lol. Even for 1955 it's hard to believe this was being pushed as the typical working class home structure.
I'm a child of the 50's and I guarantee you that our house was NOTHING like this! lol. My parents worked together and my dad treated mom with respect and honor.
Oh, I almost forgot, I'm adding number 19 just for the fun of it:
19. Always make sure the fridge is fully stocked, especially with the Master's favorite beers! There ya go. Now that's perfection and she's a darn good wife! lol.
Thanks for stopping by for this bit of insanity folks. If any of y'all was raised this way please comment about it. And let me know if you have a favorite from this list.
They're all outrageous but number 14 made me burst out laughing, like that would ever fly! Come on!
-jonboy
Texas
