New Weekly " Off Topic" Topic No.24 (16/07/12)

[Ludwig Venter]

I grew up in a society where it is customary for the husband to be the breadwinner and support the family...... I've been married now for more than 38 years, and my wife has always been a housewife looking after the kids, cooking and housecleaning and the general chores around the house.....

The modern woman however, are as much in competition with her male counterparts and in many instances they are very succesful in careers and brings in a higher salary than her husband.... (I've even heard of some males quitting there jobs to become house husbands and the female becomes the sole breadwinner)

This weeks topic..... Is a woman's place in the kitchen or should she also contribute to the household income...

 

[ZephyrStarPlaties]

My dad's unemployed - mom's the one that does all the work. I can't stand it when people think women can't work.

 

[garyspence84]

My wife and I are fairly equal for now, but she's a qualified nurse, and when that job comes around, she'l be the "bread winner" and I'll probably give up my contract and just temp at work so I can look after our kid. Saves paying for child care and get to spend more time with my daughter.
And I have no problem with this, what so ever. Then I get to ne the 1 that "borrows" money off her all the time haha

 

[MBOU]

I don't think it matters to be honest! It depends on each personal situation. If one or the other is higher qualified than the other partner and could potetially be earning a lot more, it makes sense that they work, whether the man or the woman.

But then you have to take in the needs and wants of each other as well. Its all about working together

I'm training in a proffesion that is very fast becoming very female dominated and is a job that for me, i wouldnt ever give up just to be a housewife... but i'm going down this route because i don't think i'll ever be in a situation where i will have a partner to support me so i need to do it all myself.

Realistically... I like to think that I would love to be a housewife Id have loved to have kids and a husband and keep a house and cook and everything.... but it sure isnt going to happen!

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Personally I think that today's world doesn't allow for most families to have only one form of income. It's a shame, and to me it doesn't matter whether it's the husband or wife that stays at home but it would be lovely to be able to do so. I don't have any children but if I did I would love to be in that situation It's very hard to "keep a house" when you both work full time - I get this and I don't even have any children! I don't know how my parents did it TBH they both worked full time (though my mom was a teacher so had the same breaks as us) and they never missed a sporting event or recital. Money was tight but we never felt lacking for anything and I never felt like I didn't get the time I needed from my parents. I guess I was lucky because I know that's not everyone's experience with busy working parents. However, the house wasn't sparkling and we didn't have beautifully prepared meals every night, fish fingers were a regular haha.

So overall, I think if you can afford it sure, let someone stay at home and let the other be the breadwinner. I wonder though if any animosity would build up in regards to 1) one half "being able to stay at home all day" (which if kids are involved isn't really the case!) or 2) being dependant on the breadwinner to provide money and having to maybe ask for it and even explain why you want it.

For me, since we both work and don't have kids - the answer is to get a housekeeper LOL that way I don't spend my weekends cleaning because I certainly don't do it during the week! Laaaaazy!

 

[StandbySetting]

It doesn't matter in my opinion, as long as they're both doing their fair share.

 

[the_lock_man]

I suspect that the actual question was phrased to be controversial, but of course the woman's place isn't in the kitchen. It depends entirely on what works for each individual couple. I know of a number of men who are house-husbands. Equally, that situation didn't work for my wife and I, even though she was better-paid than me.

 

[DrRob]

I happen to earn more than my wife, not because I work harder or am any better at what I do, but because society values my job more than it does hers). It has forced the answer to some decisions about who takes longer batches of leave for looking after our daughter, but she earns and contributes what she can. Without her income our house renovation project would be nowhere near where it is now or my fishtanks would be a lot smaller. We do our share of cleaning, cooking, ironing and such like dependant mostly on who happens to be around, has time and feel like doing it. It all gets done and there are few arguments about who is doing what. Right now she's doing most of the housework because she's on maternity leave, however I happen to enjoy cooking as much as she enjoys ironing so I tend to make dinner when I get home.

Regardless, our kitchen is too small for her to do the ironing in, so her place in the day is generally in the lounge.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Regardless, our kitchen is too small for her to do the ironing in, so her place in the day is generally in the lounge.

I giggled

 

[Rummynose]

Sadly, here for most families today it's hardly a choice, both incomes are needed to make ends meet! It would be ideal, if one parent could stay home while the children are still small.

 

[FishBlast]

I grew up in a society where it is customary for the husband to be the breadwinner and support the family...... I've been married now for more than 38 years, and my wife has always been a housewife looking after the kids, cooking and housecleaning and the general chores around the house.....

The modern woman however, are as much in competition with her male counterparts and in many instances they are very succesful in careers and brings in a higher salary than her husband.... (I've even heard of some males quitting there jobs to become house husbands and the female becomes the sole breadwinner)

This weeks topic..... Is a woman's place in the kitchen or should she also contribute to the household income...

What's wrong with contributing to the household income? Take my mom for example:
She IS in the kitchen, but dad is the sole breadwinner (if you count my once in a while salary out) and he complains that he has to feed 3 people out of a salary of $200 per month. Yes, PER MONTH.
And he always tells mom that she needs to get a job, but what's this? The employers want young women if they're going to hire women anyway. So she cannot get hired.

As for me, don't put me in the kitchen. I'm a hazard there (either ruining the food or having my favorite weapon, the frying pan, if I'd be forced to be in there).

 

[brian1]

My wife works in the Crown Court in Notts, not because she has to, but because she loves the job she does, just a 25 hour week, so not too bad, what do I do,........ NOW'T.....LOL, looking after my fish, garden, taking Millie out,and did have an aviary.......phew!!

 

[HannahBear77]

in today's society its becoming harder to be stay at home moms i think cus now you need both income instead of one,
i plan on staying at home eventually when i have kids or at least until in they get into grade school just cus i dont want my kids in and out of daycares and always relying on some one else to take care of my kids and i was raised with my mom staying home and taught that your family should always come first

 

[hensonc4098]

My dad's an electrical engineer specialising in fire alarms and warden call systems, although he does fire extinguisher servicing as well, which is handy for pressurised co2 systems...
My mum works one day a week doing accountancy.
They together run their company, employing several other guys. Together they make the business viable. Give my mum a screwdriver and she'd be totally confused, give my dad a pen and paper and he'd be the same.
The amount of work mum does allows her to be a housewife as well as a breadwinner, so it's win win