There Are Househusbands Now
Gone are the days of the ludicrous expectations and lack of rights as a wife. The family home and career life have become more equally split. Wives are no longer the property of their husbands, and roles can be reversed. Although wives may partake in some of the same roles as before, husbands do too. Here’s what has changed since wives have been given more respect.
1. Cleaning The House
Back in the day, husbands probably didn’t even know where the broom was stored or where the dishcloths were hung. Household chores were solely gifted to the wives to do and they scrubbed the house from top to bottom. Nowadays, both spouses lend a hand in the cleaning.
2. Pushing The Stroller
The mother pushed the children out into the world so she might as well push the stroller too. Raising the children used to be the wife's job and it was rare to see the father push the baby stroller or clean up after them. Nowadays, parental roles are expected of both the mother and the father.
3. Cooking The Meals
Not so long ago, only women were taught how to cook in school. Having dinner on the table after your husband got home from work was expected of you if you wanted to be a good wife. You fed him and the kids breakfast every morning, packed their lunches, and prepared for their dinner. It’s nice to see a lot of home chefs now are husbands.
4. Grocery Shopping
If wives were expected to make all the meals then of course they were in charge of the grocery list. Grocery shopping is not considered a woman’s role anymore and a lot of men get a thrill at the farmer’s market.
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5. Dressing Up
Your Prince Charming will be home in twenty minutes–– you better powder your nose and fix your hair! There were textbook rules for a good housewife in the 50s that stated that you must dress yourself up for your husband’s arrival. After a day of household chores, of course you want to slip into a pair of uncomfortable high heels instead of your fuzzy slippers.
6. Doing The Laundry
As a wife, you were expected to do everyone’s laundry as well as the linens and towels. In many households these days, each individual takes care of their personal laundry or the chore is taken by the spouse with more time.
7. Comforting Your Spouse
The home economic textbook stated that good wives must care to their husband’s needs before their own. They shouldn’t dare complain if their hubby is late and they should help take off their shoes and fetch them a stiff drink. Today, both spouses care for their partners with backrubs or soothing beverages depending on their needs.
8. Having A Job
It’s hard to believe women weren’t always in the workforce. Wives have careers now which is why domestic roles have become more evenly split. There are stay-at-home dads too, with wives who are the breadwinners.
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9. Playing With The Kids
Both parents join in the fun at the park or the splashpad. Dad might shoot some hoops with his teenanger or mom might play catch with her son. The rough-housing isn’t just for the boisterous boys–– the girls don’t always want to be “ladylike” anymore.
Xavier Mouton Photographie on Unsplash
10. Outside Chores
Does your “wife” title mean you don’t know how to pick up a shovel? Unless that's just not your thing, chores like gardening, mowing the lawn, and taking out the trash are roles given to any gender. You can choose what roles you take however it works for your relationship.
11. Growing A Family
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby carriage––or something like that. If you got hitched you were expected to have babies. Nowadays, it’s more common to see married couples without children or conversations are had before they decide to grow a family.
12. Changing The Diapers
If the wife was expected to do most of the child raising, then of course changing diapers was included. If the baby needs a clean up, we don’t want to see a father immediately hand over his baby to their mother. Both parents are perfectly capable of bum changes and often take turns.
14. Making The Bed
If you both sleep in the same bed and leave the house for work, which one of you takes on this task? Either way, just like every other household chore, it’s not just for the wife to do. Making the bed and tidying up are all part of having a home.
15. Enjoying Your Hobbies
Since it’s common to have spousal roles equally distributed, both partners have a chance to do their hobbies. Wives have lives outside of the house now and husbands do more than drinking with the men from work.
16. Attending The Kids’ Activities
Depending on the situation, either parent can be expected to attend the school talent show or take their kid to baseball practice. Mom, dad, or both parents may be in the audience at the dance recital or the hockey game, since gender plays no role here.
17. Driving The Car
Woman, take the wheel! Since both women and men can earn a driver’s license, husbands aren’t expected to drive their families anymore. Either spouse can take the driver’s seat if they’re capable of driving.
18. Partnership
Today, a marriage is viewed as an equal partnership but this wasn’t always the case. When a woman got married she was also handing over her rights to the property of her husband. She was owned by her spouse and we thought that was normal.
19. Education
In the past, a post-secondary education wasn’t necessary for a housewife. She wasn’t supposed to have a job outside of housework, so why would she go to university? In the present, you can have a higher education no matter your marital status or gender.
20. Divorce Stigma
Divorce was strongly frowned upon and almost never happened. Many couples married at a young age and it didn’t matter if they grew apart as they got older, they were stuck for life. If you want to end your marriage now, divorce has less of a bad rep.
