Column: Tips from 1955s The Good Wifes Guide

Staff

Published Monday, October 29, 2007

By Julie Seedorf, Something About Nothing

I received an e-mail recently with “The Good Wife’s Guide” from Housekeeping Monthly dated May 13, 1955. The friend who sent me this article underlined several items. I could not decide if she did this because after reading this article she decided I didn’t measure up as “a good wife” or if she thought we should try these things to please our husbands. Sometimes instead of underlining she circled. I am not talking about thin-lined circles; I am talking about huge thick-lined circles. Were these hints that I needed to shape up my wife keeping?

Before I share some of these 1955 tips I would like the women that are married and read this column to assess their wifely skills. Ask yourself what makes a good wife in 2007? List the things that you think a good wife should be doing? Then ask your husband what he thinks a good wife should be doing. Compare your lists. And do not fight after you compare lists. Keep an open mind when you see his list. Agree to disagree. And there is the chance that you would absolutely agree on your wifely skills.

Now I would like you to compare your list with the list in the article from 1955. I am only going to share what my friend underlined and circled, as these must be the important tasks that we may have to improve on in 2007 to be a good wife:

- “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.”

This is a tip we can all benefit from now as the colder months are upon us. Get those fires ready!

- “Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.”

Practice that smile, ladies, even if you are seething inside!

- “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.”

Now many of us live with the strong silent type so this should not be so difficult. It is easy to listen to silence. Just keep remembering to smile!

- “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.”

Remember, ladies, smile, smile, and smile!

- “Don’t complain if he’s late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through all day.”

Don’t complain, just throw the dinner in the trash and lock the door. Is that complaining? You didn’t say a word!

I can’t tell you which one is my favorite. Maybe it is this one.

- “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.”

The article ends with one last piece of advice.

- “A good wife always knows her place.”

There is more and if you haven’t seen this article, just send me an e-mail and I would happy to send you the entire article that friend shared with me.

So how did your list of your wifely traits compare to 1955? I would think that that the husbands would maybe want us to adopt this list. I would love to see an article from 1955 on the “The Good Husband’s Guide.”

Do you wish you lived in 1955 so these were the guidelines to follow? If you read this column and were married in 1955, I would love to hear from you to find out if this article was supposed to be as funny then as it is today or if this actually happened to be the way wives were treating their husbands in 1955.

I don’t think I would have made it as a wife in 1955. I am also sure there are many things I could improve when it comes to the “taking care of my husband” part in 2007. I could shine his shoes. I could agree with him all the time because of course he is always right.

Did you imagine my eyebrows rising at that one?

And of course you know, I never talk so I must be listening. I always know my place. It is just hard to find it sometime.

Yes, things have certainly changed since 1955. Oh, I left out one more little piece that I should have included from the article.

- “Be happy to see him.”

That is one thing I am sure that is one thing that has not changed since 1955. I am always glad to see him. (Unless I haven’t had time to hide what I bought on my shopping trip.)

Wells resident Julie Seedorf’s column appears every Monday. Send e-mail at somethingabout nothing@mchsi.com.

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