When I was growing up, my mother often said "the woman sets the emotional temperature of the home." What she meant was, more than anyone else, the wife and mother in a home has the power to set the mood for the rest of the family.
After I married, I found - little to my surprise - that this idea was absolutely true, even when our home consisted of only myself and my husband. Although his mood obviously had an effect on our home, I discovered that mymood was often more important in determining the "emotional temperature" in our home. If I was tired, stressed, and unhappy, the evening had a tendency to be quiet and disconnected. If I was happy, relaxed, and focused on how much I loved my husband, our evening was usually a happy one.
Even though it may seem a little unfair to place responsibility for the mood of the family squarely on the woman's shoulders, it can be a wonderful way to embrace a role as a homemaker - andto have a happy home. Many wives and mothers who stay at home (and many who work, as well) have the opportunity to make their home a haven for their families; the kind of place it's a pleasure to be at the end of the day.
Few things help set the mood in a home better than how you greet your husband when he comes home at the end of a day. Do you meet him with a list of things-to-do or a litany of the frustrations of your day - or do you make an effort to spend a minute or two re-connecting and showing how much you love him?
If you feel like your homecoming routine could use a little work, here are a few tips to help spice up your greeting at the end of the day:
Make eye contact
him
Look him in the eyes when he walks through the door. Show him that you're prepared to focus on himfor at least a minute or two. Let him know that you're glad to have him home and that his presence in your home is important to you.
Always greet him with a kiss
your
While it can be easy to get caught up in whatever has been going on in yourday, and view your husband as a fellow worker who's finally come to take over the next shift, it's important to remember that your marriage is a top priority. Greeting your husband with a kiss helps you both remember the excitement and romance that brought you together in the first place - something that can, at times, seem very far away when you're caught up in the day-to-day grind!
Stop what you're doing
It can be tough to break away from whatever it is you're doing when your husband walks in the door, but taking just a moment to greet him with undivided attention can make a big difference. After all, if your husband is the most important person in your life, shouldn't he deserve to feel that way?
Take a few minutes to talk
Ask him how his day went, and tell him about yours. Take a few minutes for some conversation before you both disappear into household chores and dinner prep.
Remember, it's okay if it's not perfect. Maybe you haven't had a single moment to pick up the house before your husband returns from work. Maybe the baby has been crying all day long, and you haven't had a chance to shower. Greeting your husband isn't about achieving perfection; it's about taking the time to show him just how much he means to you. It's important for both of you, and for your family as a whole, that the two of you have a few minutes to re-connect and re-focus on just why you became a family in the first place. Who knows? After a few minutes of focusing on your love for your spouse, cleaning up those toys may not seem like such a daunting job, after all.
