When I first read this excerpt from Edward Podolsky’s Sex Today in Wedded Life, I was disturbed, and quite pleased to be living in the modern times. The wife seems to have a lot more serious things to worry about! Her husband only has to remember her birthday and kiss her in public.
But as I sat down to type this page, I noticed some charming points to this simple list. Read #10 in the wives’ commandments very carefully ~ let him think he wears the pants?
1947: 10 Commandments for Wives
1 ~ Don’t bother your husband with petty troubles and complaints when he comes home from work.
2 ~ Be a good listener. Let him tell you his troubles; yours will seem trivial in comparison.
3 ~ Remember your most important job is to build up and maintain his ego (which gets bruised plenty in business). Morale is a woman’s business.
4 ~ Let him relax before dinner, and discuss family problems after the “inner man” has been satisfied.
5 ~ Always remember he’s a male and marital relations promote harmony. Have sane views about sex.
6 ~ No man likes a wife who is always tired out. Conserve your energy so you can give him the companionship he craves.
7 ~ Never hold up your husband to ridicule in the presence of others. If you must criticize, do so privately and without anger.
8 ~ Remember a man is only a grown-up boy. He needs mothering and enjoys it if not piled on too thick.
9 ~ Don’t live beyond your means, or add to your husband’s financial burdens.
10 ~ Don’t try to boss him around. Let him think he wears the pants.
10 Commandments for Husbands
1 ~ Remember your wife wants to be treated as your sweetheart always.
2 ~ Remember her birthdays and your wedding anniversaries.
3 ~ Bring her some gift every week, no matter how inexpensive it may be. (It’s not the price, it’s the thought.)
4 ~ Don’t take love for granted. Don’t “ration” your kisses. Being a woman, she wants you to woo her.
5 ~ Respect her privacy.
6 ~ Always be tender, kind and considerate even under trying circumstances.
7 ~ Don’t be stingy with money; be a generous provider.
8 ~ Compliment her new dress, “hair-do,” cooking, etc.
9 ~ Always greet her with a kiss, especially when other people are around.
10 ~ Remember marriage is a 50-50 proposition and you are not the majority stock holder.
Source: Podolsky, Edward. Sex Today in Wedded Life. New York: Simon Publications, Inc., 1947.
~ pp. 236-37 ~