Homecoming

The end of the day is often a chaotic and low-energy time for many of us. Given our busy lives what are some simple, quick things we can do to create a welcoming home for our husbands to return home to?

• Wrap up projects. About thirty minutes before he arrives home wrap up any projects that you have been working on. It only creates more stress if you try to rush around five minutes before his arrival.
• Tidy. I’m not talking about a deep clean but it wouldn’t take but a moment to fluff pillows, run a vacuum over the living room floor, put dirty dishes into the dishwasher and put any runaway toys into a basket to be sorted later. Think of how much calmer and more peaceful your evening will be if your home is uncluttered.
• Add touches of loveliness. Light a sweet smelling candle, turn on soothing music–putting on something romantic is a nice way to show him that you’ve been thinking of him, or put out light hors d’oeuvres–this has the added benefit of occupying your children while you compose yourself and your home.
• Freshen up. This doesn’t have to be time consuming. I’d love to take a long, hot shower, put on a clean outfit and style my hair before my husband comes home but somehow I don’t see that happening any time soon. I think a reasonable goal would be to take five minutes to brush your teeth, reapply lipstick and run a brush through your hair.
• Sit still. Catch your breath, relax and perhaps sip a cup of tea, or coffee if you need a pick-me-up. Everyone will have a more enjoyable evening if you have taken a bit of time to regroup.
• Be a Bartender or Barista. Make him his favorite drink be it coffee after a long day or a scotch after a stressful one.
• But Not a Chef. Try to wrap up dinner before he arrives or at least get it to a place where you can pause for a moment to give him a moment of undivided attention when he first walks through the door.
• Say Cheese. Put a smile on your face, even when you don’t feel like it. I find that putting a good faith effort towards trying to be cheerful even on the worst of days does wonders for my attitude. Plant a sweet one on him and give him a warm hug. Let him know how much you missed him while he was gone and how glad you are that he’s home.
• Listen. Let him talk if he needs. He’s missed you, too.
• Or Don’t. Give him a moment of privacy to unwind and change into something more comfortable if he so desires. If he’s been sitting in traffic he will appreciate the moment of peace.

This is the goal. We all know firsthand that life is unpredictable, though. Children have meltdowns, accidents happen, and emotions and energy levels are often out of our control. Some days we might be able to accomplish more of these than on other days. I usually manage to freshen up and tidy but often am frazzled and preoccupied when my husband gets home. But even if we only get to a few of them, we will still have succeeded on making our homes a more pleasant place for our husbands to come home to.