Honor Thy Husband: Happy Husband, Happy Homeschool - Mary Ellen Barrett Talk Notes

Mary Ellen made a lot of husbands happy. 

Her well-attended talk was, as always, heartfelt and I would imagine that others left feeling the way I did.  Mary Ellen's voice is so personal and so friendly and her words flow effortlessly.  Those words caressed hearts to be more loving and when I relayed them to my husband and shared with him how they made me want to love him better he told me to thank Mary Ellen.  I bet other husbands had returning wives that had renewed appreciation for  them upon coming home.

"In a world that increasingly diminishes and ridicules men and fathers, it is extremely important that we not only honor our husbands but also raise our sons to be good, strong, godly men. A wife’s role in this cannot be understated as she sets the tone of the home."

Here are my IHM National talk notes and they are ones that are obvious, so I would encourage you to get the MP4 recording when it comes out to hear her delivery.  The way she speaks them are the reason the room fills for her.

* Praise him, let him hear you praising him. Compliment him, don't tear him down.

* Ask him about his day, check in with him. Send him a text.  His work is a big part of his life and a support to the family.

* Give him a moment to decompress and unwind.

* Tone is important.  Find ways to rephrase things. Snarky comments are never productive.

* Believe the best about him.

*Greet him the way you'd want to be greeted, with love, without mess.

* Acts of kindness - travel mug of coffee ready, give a back rub, get car oil changed. Ask what he'd like to have for dinner and then make it.

These are not surprising ideas...well, maybe some are surprised...thinking they are too 1950s.  But really, aren't they just kindness?  Aren't they just the kind things we'd do in service to others, to strangers? We'd call that being charitable and this was a reminder that charity begins in the home and to do unto others....

Thanks, Mary Ellen, ALWAYS so nice to see and hear you!

Honor Thy Husband: Happy Husband, Happy Homeschool

Mary Ellen Barrett

In a world that increasingly diminishes and ridicules men and fathers, it is extremely important that we not only honor our husbands but also raise our sons to be good, strong, godly men. A wife’s role in this cannot be understated as she sets the tone of the home.

Mrs. Mary Ellen Barrett is a mother of eight children and wife to David. She is a lifelong New Yorker and an active member of her parish Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Lindenhurst, New York.

Mary Ellen is a columnist for The Long Island Catholic and chronicles the journey of living a faithful, but imperfect, Catholic family life on her weblog: Tales From the Bonny Blue House. She is on the editorial review board of Mater et Magistra Magazine and has had her work published in Faith and Family Magazine, Catholicmom.com, Catholic News Service, Catholic Digest and was formerly a frequent contributor to CatholicExchange.com. Mary Ellen has guest blogged on Faith and Family Live, CatholicVote.org, and Catholic Cuisine. She also blogs about the occult and the New Age at AmazingCatechists.com.

Mary Ellen also owns and maintains a website called O Night Divine, which is dedicated to the Catholic celebration of Advent and Christmas. She has been heard on Relevant Radio and WTMR 800 in Philadelphia, as a webinar presenter at Homeschool Connections, a presenter at The Catholic Social Sciences Conference and a featured speaker at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Homeschool Conferences.

Mary Ellen speaks and writes on issues pertaining to homeschooling, Catholic family life, bereavement and special needs issues. She is passionate about good books and the Catholic faith infusing and informing her family’s homeschool life and is always willing to share her knowledge and experience.