ARE YOU A GOOD FRIEND ?

 

1. Does your husband tell you about his work?

2. Do you try to share some of his enthusiasm, even though you are more interested in other forms of entertainment?

3. Do you stay on good terms with his family, even though they bore or bother you?

4. If you can't agree with him on certain things, are you able to reach a friendly compromise?

5. Are you proud of him, and do you let him know it?

So many of the men who come to us for help say that they have stopped discussing business problems at home because the wives concerned are not interested enough in their work to talk about it intelligently or are so critical that they are of no help. Informing yourself about your husband's career is one of the best investments you can make. If it is complicated or highly technical, borrow books about it from the library. Even if it bores you, ask questions. You may find it interesting, after all.

If he brings home a tale of trouble, don't say, "Why do you get yourself into all of these messes?" What he wants is comfort and a lift. Try to help him think out the best solution, and then encourage him to carry it through. Emerson described a friend as "one before whom I may think aloud." If you answered "Yes" to the questions above, you deserve this description..

ARE YOU CONSIDERATE?

l . Do you send your husband off in good spirits in the morning? 2. Do you look attractive, clean, and neat in the morning?

3. When he comes home, do you let him have a nap, or a drink, or early dinner, or time with friends-as he likes it, not as you like it?

4. Do you arrange social activities so that he gets enough sleep on week .nights?

5. Do you participate in his hobbies, or let him follow them happily if you can't?

The mood of the house is the wife's job. If she is truly considerate, she designs both the beginning and end of the day to suit her husband. It is important to adjust your own pleasures to his habits, needs, and likes. If you did not answer "Yes" to these questions, perhaps you are not doing your share as a homemaker.