"Written for Girls" Part 13——Part 4 What should you do 4. When the husband is working at home

You think: What should a mouse do when it knows that a cat is there, but it has to work to find food?

If your husband works eight hours a day in an office or factory, you don't need to read this chapter. Compared with wives whose husbands work at home, your adjustment will be much easier. (But if you are smart, you should still read this chapter, because no one knows when, things may change.)

If the husband works at home for a long time, and the wife must handle housework near him, such a woman is especially worthy of her husband's reward. Think about it, you have to put your heels up and walk quietly in the room next to where your husband works, you have to accept his request to turn off your half-used vacuum cleaner, and you can't invite your friends over for dinner. , because the noise would hinder the head of the family. That being said, if you're married to a man who has to work from home, it's really up to you to adjust. However, if you have enough love for your husband, always maintain a good mood, and are determined to complete it, you can definitely succeed. There are many wives who have done this.

Let's look at the example of Catherine Gillies. Her husband, Don Gillis, is a composer and director of the NBC Symphony Orchestra's broadcast concerts. Don Gillis' symphonic works have been performed by every major symphony orchestra in the United States and Europe. His music has also been performed by masters such as Arthur Federo and Arturo Toscanini. While still very young, Don Gillis achieved astonishing success in a famous professional band.

Mr. and Mrs. Gillis are our neighbors in Forest Hills, New York. Their friends all knew that Catherine Gillies played a very important role in her husband's glorious career. Chef Gillis composed most of his musical compositions at home. Although he had a study on the third floor, he preferred to write at the dining room table. The gentle, demure Catherine didn't care; she was just "working around him," as she put it. In addition, she keeps an eye on the two little ones; if they get too noisy, she asks them to do something less distracting.

Katherine Gillies takes care to make their home a great place to work and play. She was a great cook and her freezer was always stocked with homemade ice cream, sweet cakes and other treats. But she took strict care of the food consumption of the family. When she thinks it's time to return to frugal living, she locks the freezer and hides the key to limit everyone's enthusiasm for food.

Like many artists, Don Gillis was troubled by budget and family finances, so Catherine also acted as a non-professional business agent. She helped her husband decide which contract to accept, how much the family should save and how to increase their income. When Tang needed a new set of clothes, of course he had to rely on his wife to remind him and order them for him.

I asked Catherine Gillis to give me some advice on what wives should do to successfully deal with their husbands working at home. "Once you get used to it," she said, "it's not only easy, but it's also fun. If I have to work in the studio, I miss him so much all day long. I'm so used to having him around.

Here are a few simple rules that I have found most helpful in helping him work effectively at home:

1. Make him feel comfortable to the best of your ability, then let him go and do your job. Resist your urge to go in and see him for the time being, and check in later to see how his work is going.

2. Don’t disturb him when he is working. Don’t ask him to open the door, take care of the children, or pay the bill to the delivery boy. You should do these things yourself as if he were not home. Unless the house is burning down, there are no exceptions to this rule.

3. Don’t get flustered too easily. He may become nervous and upset when his work is not going well. You can do him a favor by staying calm and gentle.

4. Arrange your social plans according to his time. Unless your house is large enough to completely isolate him, you can't have your friends over when he wants to work.

5. Arrange working hours with him so that the children have time to play without being stopped. It is impossible for a normal and healthy child to be quiet all day long - a reasonable father certainly does not want this. If everyone's rights were valued, everyone would be happier.

I can tell you that these rules are very effective. My husband has done all of his work around the house for the eight years we have been married, so I know exactly what I'm talking about. If you have a husband who is at home 24 hours a day, try Catherine Gillies's tips.

(To be continued)