Q Dear Miss Abigail:
My husband lost his job. Any suggestions for how to be supportive and not be a nag. i.e. “so, what did you do today, dear?” Obviously not a good thing to say.
Signed,
Debbie
A Dear Debbie:
Yeah, I guess that would be a little awkward, particularly when the job market is so bleak. I’d say take Mrs. Dale Carnegie’s advice in How to Help Your Husband Get Ahead, and stay focused on keeping his morale high, because, as Mrs. Carnegie writes:
“Every man needs a believer, a woman who is for him when circumstances are against him. When nothing goes right, when he is under fire, when he fails, a man needs a wife who will build up his resistance and confidence by letting him know that nothing can shake her faith in him. If his wife doesn’t believe in him, who will?”
1953: Fundamental Techniques of Morale Building
Rule 1: Learn to listen effectively by:
a: Expressing alertness and attention through facial expression and bodily poise.
b: Asking intelligent questions.
c: Never betraying a confidence.
Rule 2: Help your husband be the man he would like to be by giving him praise and encouragement.
Rule 3: When things go wrong ~ be a believer!
Source: Carnegie, Mrs. Dale (Dorothy). How to Help Your Husband Get Ahead in His Social and Business Life. New York: Greystone Press, 1953.
~ pp. 54, 57 ~