As one of my commenters recently pointed out, there is a lot of ignorance nowadays about housekeeping and all things domestic; while, on the other hand, there are probably many couples out there who long for a more traditional relationship but don't know how to switch from two incomes to one, so I thought it could be a good idea to devote a couple of posts to this topic.
Here is the link to a radio program which gives financial advise to people. The title of this particular episode is Yes, You Can Afford For Your Wife To Stay Home and the radio host gives a detailed analysis of a hypothetical situation which features a two income couple where both earn 60. 000$ and what would happen to them if the wife stopped working.
I'd like to highlight some of the points he made. First, he rightly points out that the decision for the wife and mother to stay home is not so much financial as it is a lifestyle one, that is, if the couple are determined to make it work, they'll probably find a way, however, most people nowadays see it as their objective to earn as much money as possible, even at the cost of the relationship with their own kids.
He states that it's so important for him that if necessary he'd move to a very cheap house and work three jobs in order for his wife to be able to take care of their children.
Another thing to consider is that while a one income family will obviously have less money to spend, their quality of life will be higher since the wife won't be stressed by working outside home and will be more relaxed and thus the atmosphere at home will be much more peaceful. What you lose in terms of money, you win back in terms of time.
Obviously it's a couple's decision whether to be a one or two income family, yet strangely, there is a lot of animosity towards traditional families, and he mentions a recent article in an Australian newspaper claiming that it should be forbidden for the wives to stay home since, guess what? They are not doing their duty towards the economy!!! Apparently some lifestyles aren't tolerated all that well in a liberal society.
It's a sad commentary on the modern West that the most prosperous societies that have ever existed since the beginning of the world value money-making and abstract "economy" above such things as marriage, children and family. Anyway, the good thing is that many people still do have a choice and the guy in question can probably help some of them to figure it all out financially.
I have noticed that many men (and working women) seem to LOATHE housewifes, even she is also a stay-at-home-mothers. Because they feel that if they must work, everybody must. You know, if I must suffer, lets make sure everybody else is miserable, too.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that men who's wifes stays at home never seem to complain. They are happy to have their wifes home. But it seems that everybody else takes offense on behalf of the poor hubby who is manipulated to provide for his family by blood-and-money-sucking parasite-like housewife. They seem to think that housewife takes advantages of her husband. Obviously husband's are not grown men who know what they want. Oh no. They must be protected from themselves...
Here we go again, here I am ranting again.
I think that most people don't understand how people are wired, or maybe they do not want to admit it. Being housewife benefits both the wife and husband: wife gets the feeling of protection women usually need and usually they get more rest which our bodies need. Men, on the other hand get admiration both at home and at workplace. Working is so important to men because they need that professional respect, too. And as you have written so many times(maybe not with these words exactly), if wife earns money, there is no reason why she should make him number one...
ReplyDeleteAm I making any sense?
There is a reason for the saying "misery loves company", I guess:)
ReplyDeleteSome countries appear to be worse than the others in this regard. So strangely enough, even though the US is the home of radical feminism, it's also the country with the most vocal supporters of the traditional family. Weird, isn't it?
Oh, and I don't mind you ranting in the slightest:)
As for your other comment...you see, if "they" admit that men and women are different because of hard biological reality, the whole equality project will come into danger, I guess. There are other things, too, which could be better covered by a whole post not a comment, but I'm not sure how to formulate them yet.