The Pew Research Center has recently released the results of their study pertaining to the changes that have happened in marriages within the past decade. According to their findings, more and more women now have monthly incomes that are significantly higher than what their husbands make in a month.
This kind of change has caused role reversals, in terms of responsibilities and benefits, and discontent among the wives.
Most women who have higher earnings than their husbands feel that they should be freed from the tasks that are usually associated with being a mother. Sometimes they feel dissatisfied and in a way cheated because they are not treated equally with their husbands despite their huge economic contributions to their families. Some women even end up resentful because they feel that they have earned the right to have lesser responsibilities as a parent.
But we are all aware that once we keep tabs on who should do this or who should’ve done that, things will just get more stressful. For me, I would rather spend more time thinking about what would be good for the kids and for the entire family than tracking on who does more things for my family.
I suggest that couples regularly talk things out to come up with solutions to the issues that their families are facing. If you feel bitterness or resentment towards your spouse, it’s better to communicate than to let it build up into something nasty. As Virginia Satir, American Author wrote, “Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible — the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.”