Wives, if you're feeling unwell and you see your husband making an effort with ANY of these things without being told, the best thing to do is to say thank you.
THINGS EVERY HUSBAND SHOULD DO WHEN THEIR WIFE IS SICK
Even if the house wasn't clean to begin with, START CLEANING. There is nothing worse for a housewife than the helplessness of not being able to keep her house under control. I will guarantee you that when your wife finally is able to emerge from her dark pit of sickness and despair, it will MAKE HER DAY to know that she doesn't have to worry about household duties while trying to recover from her horrendous sickness. Not to mention, it can make a person feel even more nauseous when you see and smell unfinished food that has been left out everywhere.
Make sure you know what CLEAN THE KITCHEN means. There have been times in the past when I have asked my husband if he could clean the kitchen. I come home and it doesn't look like anything was done. Well, apparently, to him, a clean kitchen means that the dishes are done. No, that's not what that means. You don't have to get out the hardcore cleaning supplies and scrub brushes (but by all means, feel free), but you should do the following: Clear all countertops and tabletops COMPLETELY (nothing should be on them anymore) and then wipe them down, dishes done, sink rinsed out of any leftover food, and floors swept of any crumbs left behind, and put any leftover food in the fridge or pantry.
Learn the phrase, WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU? And say it to her every 30 minutes. Yes, that seems like a lot and of course, if she is sleeping, there is no need to wake her up for this. But it's the hardest thing to be stuck in bed. Even if she just might need a drink of water, it's nice to not have to call out for help whenever it's needed. I hate feeling like I'm being an inconvenience and if I have to call out every 30 minutes for something, chances are, I'm probably not going to do it. I'd probably live without water for 3 hours than feel like I'm bossing people around.
GET THE KIDS TO BED ON TIME. Yes, the bedtime routine might be a little bit messed up without both parents to handle the kids, but the kids still need to go to bed on time. Mom needs it, Dad will need it and even more so, the kids will need it. They most likely have school the next day and no one wants to deal with cranky kids.
Make a GROCERY STORE trip if needed. If it's a stomach bug, check to make sure you have some Sprite, some saltine crackers, bread for toast, and some kind of brothy Chicken Noodle Soup. If it’s more of a cold kind of flu, you'll still want the Chicken Noodle Soup, plenty of tissues and maybe make sure you have enough Day-Quil, cough drops, or whatever kind of medication you prefer. And make sure she is drinking lots of fluids! All of these things will help her get back to herself again sooner.
Help her have a CHANGE OF SCENERY. If she's stuck in bed all day long, ask her if she might want you to help her to another room. Maybe watch a movie together when the kids go to bed. It was a pretty crappy day, and so this can be a boost for her spirits. Maybe you can run a nice hot bath for her! It can be hard to sit in one place all day. We do it because it takes to much work to do anything else! So some help would be nice.
DO NOT COMPLAIN about any of the above. Your attitude makes all the difference here. Even if you are doing everything above, if you are sighing heavily or grunting about it, the effort is not going to mean anything. In fact, as I mentioned above, if I feel like I'm being an inconvenience in any way, I'll just stop asking for help. Remember that your wife did not choose to be sick. It is not her fault. And it definitely is NOT "a day off" by any means.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. I didn't want to leave this out because it's the worst if you're next to get what she had!! Wash your hands a LOT! Make sure you are also drinking lots of fluids as well.