“Mum, he wants me to do it for him… He says all good women can… So am I not good? Teach me… If everyone else can, I should be able to as well…” I’m still amazed my niece managed to find a husband, and it’s all down to her mother. When Alina was a child, my sister refused to let her go to nursery, as a teenager she wasn’t allowed out, she stayed at home constantly, became almost a recluse. Even when she was at university in our town, her mother insisted she was home every day before 6pm. At 20 years old, her mum would be phoning at half seven shouting about why she wasn’t in yet. It was bizarre, honestly—and nothing less. Alina met her future husband in her second year at uni; they did their revision together in the library, he was two years older, shared his notes, helped her out, and before she knew it he’d fallen for her, and asked her out. That’s when my niece finally started breaking her mother’s rules left, right and centre. My niece eventually got married, and her mum reluctantly let her start her own, independent life. Now, I want to share a story that happened recently. I was sitting at my sister’s house when Alina called, voice trembling somewhere between laughter and tears, barely making any sense: “Mum, he wants me to do this for him… He says all the good wives can… So am I not good? Teach me how… If everyone else can, surely I can too…” My sister’s face changed instantly—she rushed to calm down her daughter and asked just what it was that all good women are supposed to know. “It’s just soup, Mum,” Alina said, and the two of us burst out laughing. “Don’t laugh at me! You never taught me to cook it—I tried recipes online and it just doesn’t taste good!” So, my sister and I quickly explained the step-by-step of how to make proper soup, giggling at each other in between instructions. That evening, my niece called back, grateful for the help. Her husband had loved the soup and, most importantly, she told us, now she properly felt like a real woman!

Mum, he wants me to do it for him He says all good wives can So, am I not a good one? Teach me If everyone else can, I should too

I still cant quite believe my niece managed to find a husband, especially considering her mother.

When Emily was a child, my sister Julia refused to send her to nursery school. During her teenage years, Emily wasnt allowed out with friends and spent nearly all her time at home she became a bit of a recluse, to be honest. Even when she went to university in London, Julia insisted she return home before six in the evening every day. There was Emily, twenty years old, and my sister would ring at half past seven, demanding to know why Emily wasnt home yet. It was all rather excessive, if you ask me.

Emily met her future husband during her second year at university theyd bumped into each other in the library. He was a couple of years older, shared his notes with her, helped her study, and before long hed fallen for her. Soon after, he started courting her. Thats when Emily finally started to shed the shackles of her mothers strict rules.

Eventually, Emily married, and Julia gave her reluctant blessing for her to begin a new chapter.

Let me tell you about something that recently happened. I was sitting in Julias living room when Emily called, her voice wavering between sobs and laughter to the point that I could barely make out what she was saying:

Mum, he wants me to do it for him. He says all good wives can Am I not a good one? Teach me If other women can, I should be able to as well

At this, Julias expression changed in a flash. She told Emily to calm down and ask her what exactly it was that thought all good wives could do.

Soup, mum, she burst out. That was it we couldnt help ourselves and started laughing out loud.

Dont laugh at me! You never showed me how to make it, Ive tried looking up recipes online but they all come out terribly!

Julia and I quickly talked Emily through the steps, occasionally giggling at ourselves, recalling how little cooking had ever happened in Julias house.

That evening, Emily called back, grateful and beaming. Her husband had complimented her, said the soup was delicious, and most importantly now she proudly declared herself a real wife.