How To Be A Good Wife - Week 5

Well ladies, this is it.  This is the last installment of the Good Wife's Guide 1955 vs. 2010.  But never fear, there will be surprise posts every once in awhile! 

So, our final week will be all about pleasing our man (as if the whole series wasn't about pleasing him to begin with!)

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1955 Rule #5

Be happy to see him.  Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

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.

Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or 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, soothing and pleasant voice.  Listen to him. 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.

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.  Don’t complain if he comes home late to dinner, or even if he stays out all night. Compare this as minor compared to what he may have gone through that day.

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.

Remember - A good wife always knows her place.

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2010 Rule #5

Be happy to see him.  You finally have a second set of hands to help wrangle the kids and dogs.

Give him a quick kiss while passing off the baby and tell him that you forgot to pick up some beer while you were running errands and that there isn't any ice tea, but to give you a minute and you'll hand him the tea bags to make another pitcher.

As ice tea is brewing, remember that there aren't any ice cubes either.  Hand hubby a juice box to tie him over until either the tea is cold or the ice cubes are ready.

Remind him not to sit on the couch because your oldest daughter's paintings are sitting there drying.  Tell him you'll move the laundry off the loveseat in "just a minute" and that the recliner is still wet because you had to use the steam cleaner on the spot where the baby threw up early that morning.  Find your husband crawling on the floor trying to find the TV remotes so that he can turn off Sproutlets and turn on ESPN.

Give him "the look" when he mentions about going to happy hour with the guys after work on Friday.  Threaten to pack his bags and put them in the driveway if he goes to a strip club.

Hand him a list of "honey-do's" while telling him about the garbage disposal not working, the oil light coming on in the Jeep, the dog throwing up, the toilet backing up.

Remind him who is truly master of the house.

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For previous week's lessons on how to be a good wife, click on the links below:

How To Be A Good Wife - Week 1

How To Be A Good Wife - Week 2

How To Be A Good Wife - Week 3

How To Be A Good Wife - Week 4