Let's Do The Time Warp Again!

A question was posed to me on a Parenting Board I visit -- "Would you like to go back to the 50's or are you a Millennium kind of gal?"

Got to admit ... I really had to stop and think.

People brought up some very good pros about the way things used to be: Life was simpler; Kids were more active in playing outside; Not being caught up in electronic crap; Being homemaker.

Personally I'm a HUGE fan of poodle skirts and letterman's sweaters, so at least I would have been totally into the fashion aspect of the 50s! "GREASE is the word" ...

But people also brought up some very big cons about the way things used to be: Segregation; Cold War; 38th Parallel; Lack of medical treatments; No options for married women besides homemaker (of course, spinsters could still be teachers or secretaries).

Again, personally, I don't think I could have been comfortable with that kind of closed-mindedness.

Moreover, I shudder to think what might have happened to me and the boys if I had had them at 29 weeks back in the 50s. I don't think any of us would have survived. And Dan would have had to sit out in a waiting room separated from me and the boys during delivery -- how horrible for him to not get to see his sons born!

Still, it was a good question that warranted some further research (or Googling since we are not in the 50s and have to rely on the Dewey Decimal System anymore.)

Got to tell you, after what I found, I'm pretty sure I'm a Millennium gal. Check it out:

The Good Wife's Guide
From Housekeeping Monthly, 13 May, 1955

• 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 be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get 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 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 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. Run a dust cloth over the tables.
• During 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 to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
• Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum.
• 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.
• Don't greet him with complaints and problems.
• 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 at work.
• Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him 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.

Which leads me to today's lesson: Have you hugged a Suffragette today?