Rules of a Farmer (How to Have a Happy Farm Wife)

I received a lot of attention and comments from my Rules of a Farm Wife (Spring Edition) blog post last week.  After My Farmer read it, he figured he needed to write one for all the farmers out there.  Just like the rules I wrote, these are meant to be fun and at the same time give helpful hints to have a happy spring or harvest.  These too can be used for both farmers and non-farmers.  So here is My Farmer's "Rules of a Farmer (How to Have a Happy Farm Wife)":

1. Communication.  Be mindful of how you talk to your wife while she is helping you on the farm.  Don't yell at her like she's just another farm hand.  She is the one who feeds you, watches out for you, etc.  Think of her as a partner, more than just help.  Unlike other farm hands, she has no problem leaving the field and going home.
2. Check-in.  It is easy to get distracted with the day and all of sudden you get home and everyone is in bed or ready to go to bed.  Be sure to give your wife a call now and then to just check-in.  Auto-steer is a great technology that makes it easier to make these important phone calls from time to time.
3. Home Sweet Home.  Remember to leave your day at the door.  When you come home at the end of the day engage with those at home.  Keep your wife in tune with what is going on on the farm, but don't leash out all of your frustrations on her.
4. Mum is the Word.  No matter what you do, never, and I mean never, compare your wife to your Mom.  Never say, "well my Mom does it this way" or "I like my Mom's better."  This will never end well.  Period.

The saying still is "Happy Wife.  Happy Life."

I think this just shows that marriage is a partnership.  Just to show how much we are a partnership, I typed this up for my husband as he told me his ideas and thoughts over the last several days...

Rules of a Farm Wife (Spring Edition)

I thought about doing a blog for a couple years before I actually started.  One of the main reasons I thought about doing a blog was to share my thoughts and ideas on how to survive the planting and harvest seasons with other farm wives.  Today, I'm going to do just that.  I'm going to share five "rules" that I try to follow, especially during the planting season.  These are meant to be fun and at the same time give helpful hints to have a happy spring.

1. Text Message.  Find out information and details from your husband through text messaging during the day.  You husband stays busy fixing equipment, driving tractors, giving directions to hired help, etc. and sometimes a phone call takes too much time for him or happens when he doesn't have an extra hand to answer it.  If he wants to talk, he will call you (which there are times he will call just to chat and see how things are going with you).  I personally only call My Farmer if I absolutely need an answer from him right away.  If you both have Blackberry phones I recommend using Blackberry Messenger.  This program allows you to see if they have read your message or text.  (My Farmer and I both now have Androids but I enjoyed this feature when we use to have Blackberry phones.)
2. Downtime.  When your husband comes home, especially when he's been gone from before sunrise to late at night, it is easy to start talking to him as soon as he comes in the door about the kids, things that went wrong during the day, funny stories to share, etc.  Instead, take a breath, greet him with a hi and tell him that it is good to see him.  A kiss is always good to give him too!  Then give him at least five minutes to decompress from his day.  Then ask him how his day went and ask him how you can help him.  Also, avoid asking your husband to do any chores or honey-dos, avoid correcting your husband over something, and avoid using sarcasm (he might be too tired to catch on).
3. Food.  Always have food available in your home that can be taken on the go or ate at home.  Also, have food supplies around to be able to feed just your family, or an entire army of hired help.  My Farmer also enjoys having thermoses of coffee in the morning and bottled pop and water in the afternoon and evening, so I always keep a good stock of bottled beverages and gather thermoses from pick-ups and tractors.  My husband also likes to eat a little something when he comes home late at night, so I always have a few things he can choose from.  I recommend to bake, make or buy his favorite foods.
4. Laundry.  Not that you aren't keeping up on laundry throughout the year, but especially keep up on his laundry during busy seasons like spring planting.  He could start the day needing a sweatshirt and by the end of the day be wishing he was in shorts.  Make his life as easy as possible at home by him not having to dig through laundry to find something to wear.  Have clothes folded and available for him to easily find and get.
5. Compliment.  Your husband is working really hard during this season, so be sure to thank him for working so hard for your family.  Tell him that you are so happy to be married to him and that you feel lucky to be his wife.

The old saying is "Happy Wife, Happy Life," well I think the saying should be "Happy Farmer, Happy Life." I realize it doesn't rhyme but I couldn't figure out how to make charmer or armor work...  Anyways, just remember to take it easy on your husband during this time of year.  Put yourself in his shoes.  And above all, pray for wisdom for being his wife and safety for everyone working hard on the farm.

Happy Farmer, Happy Life