HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE: Then: 1950's and Now 2012

How To Be A Good Wife: Then (1950's) And Now (2012)

The following is supposedly an excerpt from a 1950's high school home-economics textbook:

• •  Have dinner ready: Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal -- on time. 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 are part of the warm welcome needed.
  • Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so that 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. His boring day may need a lift.  
  • Clear away the clutter: Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too.  
  • 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. 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, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.  
  • Some don'ts: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day. Make him comfortable. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.
  • Listen to him: You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.
  • Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.
  • The goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

Now: 2012 (Shannon's Version)

Have dinner ready: if possible, put whatever you can into the crock pot and have it on simmer so it's ready when you both get home from a long day of work. If possible, have the kids have the dinner table set and away you go to have a nice dinner! If they're old enough to make it and home before you are, even better! They have to learn how to cook sometime for when they're going to leave the house. If not, what's on the takeout/delivery menu OR if hubby is home first, ask what he's cooking.

Prepare yourself: you've had a long hard day at work or scheduling play dates, etc with the kids. Take at least 15 minutes to yourself if hubby's home and let him have the opportunity of catching up with the kids while you gather your thoughts and have some "me" time. If you can't have quiet time at home, just excuse yourself, go grab a Timmy's or Starbucks tea, juice or coffee and take a quick drive to a park or waterfront. Have a meditation CD playing quietly or just enjoy the silence.

Clear Away The Clutter: ah, everyone should take care of themselves. If they put it there, they can clean it up too. You're not a maid and they all have to learn responsibility and cleaning up! Make a chore list and have everyone scheduled to do certain chores. If you can afford it, hire a maid and you're helping to support another person and their business while they help make your life easier.

Minimize all noise: Ask Johnny to turn down the ear buds that is blaring his music and probably destroying his ear drums. Otherwise, everyone should run up to you (or dad) when you come home. If there's music on in the background, dance and say "oh yeah, let's celebrate - I'm home!" If hubby's home, great! If hubby's not home, great! Enjoy that one on one time with the kids or, just take that moment again for yourself.

Listen to him: well, if he's only going to grunt a few words when he comes home, then it won't take long. If you have to, grab a glass of wine so you can swish it in your mouth and preoccupy your mind

Make The Evening His: Go out with the girls for a "girl's night" or lock yourself in your bathroom with wine, candles, a good book and bubbles. I'm sure he can find something of his own to do. Get him the new "Maxim" or tell him the remote is all his for the night.

The Goal: to get through the fast paces that life has to offer on a daily basis with as much sanity as you can....all the while feeling a sense of accomplishment, purpose and hopefully hearing the words "thanks", "I love you mom", "I love you honey" and "you're the best"...even if you have to pat yourself sometimes. Everyone else will come around.

Thanks for viewing! As always, have a great day and remember to "Empower yourself and inspire change in others"

It's A New Dawn, It's a New Day, It's a New Life...

Birds flying high you know how I feel. Sun in the sky you know how I feel. Breeze driftin' on by you know how I feel...

It's a new dawn

It's a new day

It's a new life

For me

And I'm feeling good

As you journey in your life, you choose from among many paths and as you know, there are many forks on each of those paths. Side roads can compel and illuminate you or they can discourage and sidetrack you, take you off course. While some of those choices lead you to bumpy ones and mislead you there are others that can be smooth and calm. Some decisions you make and re-make, repeat, repeat, repeat. Admit it to yourself and be honest, how many paths have lead you to discouragement? How many have lead you to an absolute peace and contentment?


In addition to becoming more conscious of your decisions, now become aware of your decision-making process and ask yourself, "why do you make them?". As you increase your awareness of how you decide and how the actions follow your choices, enhance your understanding of the choice, or rather choices themselves. What drives you to make those decisions? What motivates (or un-motivates) you?


Now, this is totally personal. You do not need to justify yourself to anyone...ever. This is YOUR time of self-reflection. Reflect on your own personal experiences over the last year, consider some decisions you've chosen to make. In addition to those decisions, did you make them freely or were you forced to make any of those decisions? How exactly did you make them? Remember, in this journey, don't criticize or over-analyze which is something, as a society we tend to do. Just reflect. Now think about how you're going to make a conscious decision to move forward. 


Your decision, your choice alone. Your life. Only get one shot at living a life right? Make it count.


To move forward, you must let go of old paradigms. Let go of rules and whatever decision-making processes you've made in the past if they weren't successful ones. A perfect example for most people it making decisions based on fear, remove that from your life and make it become obsolete. There has to be a shift and an old paradigm and an old way of thinking. To go forward and propel you, what you really need to do is create something special and shift that to a new paradigm, new rules, a new way of thinking.


To live in the new paradigm, you must become more aware, more conscious in all aspects of your life. It's a time of enlightenment, of lightening up, of light. Don't let fear or the old paradigm take over. Eyes forward and persevere. It's going to feel different but what you need to know is that when you get past that hurdle, with it comes freedom. Freedom accompanies enlightenment and with enlightenment comes Empowerment. That empowerment takes you to a higher level. If you ever feel the old paradigm take over, don't judge yourself, don't criticize yourself and don't give up. Let the new way of thinking set back in and envision what you want to achieve. It will take practice and then what will happen is by listening to yourself and setting new standards, you'll find an inner peace. 


It's a new dawn, it's a new day...now feel good (and keep it that way!)


Much success in health, wealth and happiness....