The good wife s guide is a magazine article rumored to have been published in the may, 1955 issue of housekeeping monthly, describing how a good wife should act, containing material that reflects a very different role assignment from contemporary american society. Illustrated with contemporary linedrawings, it contains delightfully arcane and timelessly true advice. An extract from a 1950s home economics book recently took the internet by storm, with thousands unsure whether to be shocked or amused by the cringeworthy marriage advice offered to. Having a good job that provides health benefits and enough income to keep your family comfortable should be one of the top priorities. A good wife should be the mistress of her home, having under her care all that is within it, according to the rules we have laid down. A list of ten steps on how to be a good wife comes from a 1950s u. The story unfolds in two parts, alices present life and that of nellie, the perfect housewife in the 1950s. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time. I found an old book from 1954 that my grandmother actually used in her 1950 s housewife days. The 2000 larry elder book, 10 things you cant say in america, reproduces the text of the example, with how to be a good wife, a home economics high school textbook, 1954.
Anyway i could write quite a bit more but the general point im trying to get to. The basics the following is excerpted from an actual 1950 s high school home economics textbook. Its good fun, a short book but good fir someone who is up for a luagh, great value too. Gives wife ample allowance or turns pay check over to her. Top 10 books about women in the 1950s books the guardian. I took a class to show me how to be a good wife, 1950s. The good wife s guide goes around the internet quite often as a how to be a good wife kind of post. Take 15 minutes to rest so youll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be freshlooking. But the advice of the 1950s overwhelmingly put the responsibility of a relationships success on the wife. Titled how to be a good wife, the article is an alleged excerpt from a 1950s home economics book. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his.
How to be a good wife in the style of the 1950s the. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious mealon time. This 1950s article must have been written by a man comments are closed. An article titled how to be a good wife that is supposedly an excerpt from a 1950s magazine or textbook is not authentic. She should allow none to enter without her husbands knowledge, dreading above all things the gossip of gadding women, which tends to poison the soul.
It is called pictoral medical guide, and was published in 1954 with writings by 42 specialists at the time. How to be a good wife according to a 1950s book the good wifes. The author has made both women totally fascinating. But there are also certain elements that we seem to. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. How to be a good wife home economics high school text book, 1954 have dinner ready. Heres the 1950s quiz that proves you are a terrible wife. Neat in appearance shoes shined, hair cut, suit pressed. How to be a good spouse in the 1930s thought catalog.
Its quite interesting and sometimes funny to see the differences in the expectations of women in that time compared to now. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed. Heres an excerpt from a 1950s high school home economics textbook. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. How to be a good wife according to a 1960s textbook my darlings, after the wedding bells ring, how can you make sure to be a good wife. It has become fashionable to portray outdated societal behaviors and attitudes ones we now. It may feel a little strange to accept these rules today, but it remains so interesting to see how society once behaved.
The good wife s guide from housekeeping monthly, may, 1955. Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him. How to be a good husband in the 1950s our everyday life. The author had classes based on the book, and it could have very well been written for those classes. The typical 1950s wife stayed at home to cook, clean and take care of the children. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal, on time. Living life by the 1955 good wifes guide real honest mom. I became interested in the book because the idea of the book came about because of an article the author came across titled the good wife s guide supposedly published in 1955 by housekeeping monthly.
In a restaurant in cannon beach, oregon, one will find on the wall an excerpt from a 1950s era high school home economics textbook that offers readers several tips on how to be a good wife. The good wife s guide was originally circulated as a fax, and then became a widespread email which lists 18 bullet points that all good wives should keep in mind when preparing the house for the husbands return home from work. Alice, a young wife, with lots of secrets, finds a cache of old letters that had been written by nellie the woman who had lived in this house. When i first saw the sheet of paper, i laughed out loud. How to be a good wife according to a 1950s book oversixty. The good husbands guide july 15, 2014 by sue nador 2 comments sue nador updates 1950s wisdom from the good wife s guide for todays husband or wife. And heres the 1950s test that urges husbands not to be. This 1955 good house wifes guide explains how wives. I jumped out of the shower, skipped the hair dryer and jumped online. Check out our resources for adapting to these times. Please wash your hands and practise social distancing. If you know me you know im not a meek and quiet 1950 s housewife. Hope they help you become the best wife you can be. This 1955 good house wifes guide explains how wives should.
I had seen that same article because my husband brought it home and thought i should read through it. In may of 1955, housekeeping monthly published an article entitled, the good wife s guide, detailing all the ways that a wife should act and how best she can be a partner to her husband. Youre probably familiar with the article published in housekeeping monthly in 1955 on how to be a good wife. However, most find these 1950 s housewives rules outdated so this is a modern good wife s guide. Illustrated with contemporary linedrawings, it contains advice by turns delightfully arcane and timelessly true, for example. In may of 1955, housekeeping monthly published an article entitled, the good wife s guide, detailing all the ways that a wife should act and how best she can be a partner to her husband and a mother to her children.
Theres a chapter on careers too, though naturally, the best career for. I searched for a book, homemaking for dummies perhaps. How the 1950s housewife was expected to behave in the. Heres the 1950s quiz that proves you are a terrible wife by alan scherstuhl. How to be a good wife according to a 1950s book oversixty from a 1950s home economics textbook intended for high school girls, this excerpt of advice prepares young ladies for. From a 1950s home economics textbook intended for high school girls, this excerpt of advice prepares young ladies for what to expect from married life. Your husband will feel that he has reached his haven of.
Researching my new book perfect wives in ideal homes, one of the first sources i turned to was good housekeeping, which by 1957 had a circulation of 200,000. Marriage and homemaking in the 1950s and over 8 million other books are available for amazon kindle. A nostalgic look at what it was like to be a housewife in the 1950s being a housewife in the 1950s was quite different than today. Do you ever feel guilty because you cant live up to this fantasy of the good wife. This little guide was written for the middle classes of the 1930s who were reading one of the first modern selfhelp books. It made the rounds on email back when everyone had an aol account. Perfect wives in ideal homes the story of women in the 1950s by. How to be a good wife according to a 1950s book the good. If their mothers acted this way, small wonder theyre confused by us millennium women. The original source is unclear, but it closely resembles a book called fascinating womanhood, down to several sentences lifted almost wordforword out of that book s pages. The good wifes guide and advice for young brides the.
Cars were cooler, people spent more time with their families, and things were just simpler. This little guide was written in the 1930s for the middle classes one of the first modern selfhelp books. This is a way to let him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned with his needs. Research, tradition and history site hearth contains the full text of core books and journals in the discipline of home economics and related fields from 1850 to 1950. Heres the 1950s test that urges husbands not to be. Shortly after getting married, i bought dozens of books on how to be a good wife. Marriage was a mystery to me and i wanted to make sure we got off to a good start one book, in particular. Below is a guide on how to be a good housewife from a magazine, housekeeping monthly from 1955. When hubby relaxes with a good book, i kneel before him with spanking slippers in hand. How to be a good wife 1954 home economics high school. A glimpse into marriage advice from the 1950s related articles. When he gets to a stopping point, rather than dog earring the page, he puts me over his lap, lifts my skirt, lowers my panties and gives me the same number of spanks as the page. Yes, this is indeed a real article from a magazine in the 1950 s. Upon discovering a vintage cookbook buried in a box in her new homes basement, alice becomes.
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