New Year's Resolution: The 1950s Housewife

In our marriage, and probably in every marriage, it seems that we cruise a while, then need a course-correction, cruise a while, then course-correction.  The course-correction (aka conflict), usually occurs when we’re tired, in transition, stressed, etc. But usually it has a great outcome–it brings issues to a head and causes us to talk through, pray, brainstorm, and be more intentional in our relationship.

Jeff and I have recently had a course correction, and so we’ve related it to our New Year’s Resolutions.  Actually, my resolutions aren’t things he’s asked me to do, just this sort of idea that’s been brewing in my brain for a while now.

New Year’s Resolution:  I think this is the year I am finally going to acknowledge that I am a wife and stay-at-home mom.  Wow, aren’t you impressed by my ambition?  Last year my new year’s resolution was to write a book. This year?  Acknowledge I’m a wife and stay-at-home mom.  So what do I mean by this?

Not to beat a dead horse, but again–our life has been transition up until this point.  Truthfully (and this is probably because of pride), I always identified with the seminary/ministry stuff of our life a lot more than the wife/mother stuff of our life.  Because of that–often my husband, children, and even house…can get leftovers.  I think in fact I probably was even prideful about the fact that I was too busy in seminary & ministry things to spend much time in domestic matters. I’m sure I’ve looked down my nose at moms who busy themselves with reading parenting magazines, clipping coupons (I’ve eaten my words there!), obsessing over cloth or disposable diapers.   The result:  We rarely sit down as a family and eat dinner together, my son often goes to bed without brushing his teeth, the house is usually a mess when Jeff gets home from work, I haven’t read the parenting books I’ve always said I would, and I haven’t been intentional about teaching Dutch the scriptures or a whole host of other things.  Oh, and I hardly ever make the bed.  Now, I’m not talking about mommy-guilt or trying to be the perfect wife, blah blah blah.  I’m just talking about finally embracing that this season is primarily about being a wife and a mom.  And, I’ve been finding the last few days of embracing this that I am WAY happier when things at home are first taken care of.  Ya’ll are laughing right now because you’ve known this truth for years.

So what does this have to do with a 1950s housewife? Well I remember this hilarious article Jeff found a few years ago, that was actually published in 1955, called The Good Wife’s Guide.  Of course some of it was horrific, including advice to never question if your husband returns home late or stays out all night (!).  Some obvious issues there. However, I think maybe there’s something in there, under the ridiculousness of offering to take off his shoes, that’s just right for me.  Right now. If I want my husband to be a prince, maybe I ought to treat him like one. If I want him to be the spiritual leader maybe I ought to let him be.  If I want our home to be a beautiful haven, maybe I ought to take care of it like it is.  If I want my children to grow up to be strong trees, maybe I ought to water them. Just an idea.  So this last week “50s housewife” has been my secret motto, just as a reminder that little things like keeping up the house, praying together in the morning, and sitting down to dinner actually do make me a WAY happier lady.

So some of the recent changes (& Resolutions):

1. Taking my kids grocery shopping with me.  Now I won’t do this all the time, but I realized I was doing them a disservice by not training them to behave in the grocery store.  I can’t just not take them into public and then get all bent out of shape when I finally do and they misbehave. They need some practice. What better place than a grocery store–everyone expects kids to misbehave there. So, today we did it–in fact I was Domestic Diva, because we did Coupon Extravaganza at Safeway ($127 of food for $51), which had some near-disasters but we survived, then a trip to Rite-Aid where I had to leave the store temporarily to discipline Dutch and the security man followed me out to my car and accused me of shoplifting! Ha! Yeah, that was a highlight, I’ve never been accused of that before (I had tucked my coupon into my pocket and so he was suspicious–that’s fair. He was nice about it.)  Anyway, we did it!

2. Eating dinner together.  Jeff can be squirrely when it comes to his arrival time, so sometimes this is tricky. But he’s making an effort too!  Two nights in a row so far and I’m loving it. Dutch even set the table tonight on his own and Heidi contributed by throwing Cheerios all over the floor.

3. Making the bed.  Ok how pathetic is it that this is a New Year’s Resolution?  Laugh if you want.

4. Have the house straightened up and looking nice when Jeff gets home. Greet him at the door with a hug and kiss (instead of a grunt and a glance at the clock) :).

5. Praying together every morning.  This is what we always used to do and I miss it so much. We’re finally back at it, after giving Jeff strict instructions that even if I whimpered and begged to sleep five more minutes, to pull back the covers, slide his arms under me, and carry me down the stairs if that’s what it took (and it did).  I’m floored at the difference.

6. Have a plan every day.  Not that every day has to be an amazing field trip, but I want to have a plan for something fun or educational or just an experience, each and every day.  Monday was the library, then watching excavators.  Tuesday was a visiting to my grandma. Today was groceries. Tomorrow, a long walk and “fishing”.  My goal is just have one thing on the docket–even if it’s just coloring a picture or baking cookies or learning a new song. One thing for us to “do” each day.

What a funny contrast to my previous year’s resolutions.  Of course I’ll keep reading through the Word each year, keep up with Bible study and teaching, do women’s ministry, keep writing, read books that make me think. But, this year, 2010 is the year of the 50s housewife.  I like it.  Maybe I’ll even wear an apron over my skinny jeans. I could get into this.