The "Good Wife's Guide" 1955

ECBG · ‎01-08-2011

This is a must-read! The Good Wife's Guide - Good Housekeeping ...

Finally! I located it in large print! Enjoy!

The article states:

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. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.
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.
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.
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 dustcloth over the tables.
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.
Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children’s hands and faces, comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. They 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.
Be happy to see him.
Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
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.
Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.
Don’t greet him with complaints and problems.
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.
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.
Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
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.
A good wife always knows her place.

PA Mom-mom · ‎05-27-2015

@ECBG Even though this doesn't appear to be authentic, it is good for a laugh. I'll never forget my soon to be MIL telling me, "No matter what happened during the day, make sure the house and the children are clean and in order when he walks through the door." I think I had a 5% success rate! Hahaha!

RoughDraft · ‎03-09-2010

Look up Francine Hughes!

~The only difference between this place and the Titanic is that the Titanic had a band.~

jannabelle1 · ‎09-12-2010

Thank goodness my mother never followed that mantra! She owned her own small beauty salon in the 50s and 60s, always had a small stash of money of her own, made some tough decisions about our family on her own and was just an overall strong woman who taught me to always be able to take care of myself.

jlkz · ‎12-02-2013

No Comment........

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston Churchill

maximillian · ‎03-12-2010

#18-YOWEE!

Silver Lining · ‎04-16-2010

It has been on Facebook. I think it's just a farse.

ECBG · ‎01-08-2011

@PA Mom-mom wrote:
@ECBG Even though this doesn't appear to be authentic, it is good for a laugh. I'll never forget my soon to be MIL telling me, "No matter what happened during the day, make sure the house and the children are clean and in order when he walks through the door." I think I had a 5% success rate! Hahaha!

@PA Mom-mom Actually, it is authentic. The original has been copied and recopied and is too out of focus.

ECBG · ‎01-08-2011

@Silver Lining wrote:
It has been on Facebook. I think it's just a farse.

@Silver Lining No, real, lol!!!

Eileen in Virginia · ‎08-25-2010

This looks a lot like the Anne Taintor line of products. They feature coffee mugs, kitchen towels, cocktail napkins, etc. with pictures from the '50's similar to what you've got and some of the snarkiest captions you're likely to come across in a PG setting. I've bought some in Sur la Table and Zulily. They're a riot!