More women are becoming the breadwinners in families than ever before.
According to data analyst Mona Chalabi, 38 percent of women are outearning their husbands. The number of women as the primary earner in the family has been increasing over the years as salaries have come closer to equality. Some men do not know how to deal with their wife making more money than them. Tradition has told men that they are supposed to be the providers but now with more working women becoming the primary providers, men have become disgruntled. Men need to understand the benefits of their wives earning more money.
Being the breadwinner of the family can be a tender topic for some men. Back when it was expected for the man to be the primary provider and the women raised the kids, the family's financial well-being rested on the man's shoulders. Now that isn't always the case. Because of tradition, many men may feel disappointed in themselves or have their egos damaged when they are not the primary providers. Here are 6 reasons why your wife making more than you can be a good thing.
It supports the belief that family comes first
Don't let your ego get the best of you. Just because your wife makes more money than you doesn't mean you are any less of a man. Understand that the family comes first. Your wife making more money shouldn't be a problem because it means that the family has more money. Financial stability, no matter who provides it, is a key aspect to a family.
It provides less stress
You get to take a load off your shoulders. For centuries, men have had to suffer with the stresses of working bad jobs to make ends meet and have all the financial responsibility fall upon them. Now, you don't have that much financial stress because the breadwinning isn't on your shoulders. That isn't an excuse for you to not work if you can't afford it, but it may allow you to find a career in something you've always enjoyed rather than doing something simply for the money.
It opens up opportunities
Explore the opportunities you have. You can shop around for a better job and not have to worry about the stability of the one you currently have. You even have more time to develop a hobby if you don't already have one, or you get to spend more time doing the ones you already have. Plenty of men also use this as an opportunity to go back to school. At one time, going back and finishing your bachelors or getting that masters degree might have been hard to imagine, but now you may have the opportunity to go back and get the degree you've wanted and possibly make more money going forward.
You get to spend more time with the kids
Use this as an opportunity to be SuperDad. Since your job isn't necessarily the one the family relies on, you can focus on the kids. The National At-Home Dad Network says there are now 1.45 million stay at-home dads, a number that has doubled over the past ten years.
I don't know about you, but I want to be the father that is at every one of his kids' little league games. My dad missed only four of my high school baseball games in four years. Without the pressures of work, you get to focus on your children and watch them grow up rather than having to miss so many important events. Having your parents around for things such as these are a huge deal to kids growing up and it encourages them to rely on their parents. An adjustment in a work schedule may seem small to you, but being able to support your children in their activities means a great deal to them.
Allows you to become a better parent
Not being the primary provider enables you to focus on other things aside from work. Now you can focus on your parenting skills. Learn how to properly discipline your kids, learn what your kids like and don't like, and be there to teach your kids. There are numerous ways you can become a better parent. Some people have natural instincts when it comes to parenting and others must work at it. Take the time to learn different parenting methods, your kids will thank you for it later on.
Allows you to become a better husband
No woman likes having all the housework, childrearing, and cooking fall on them. This opportunity enables you to identify this relationship as a partnership. Do some chores to help maintain the house and learn to cook if you don't already know how. She will love that you recognize her responsibilities outside of the home as well as the ones that often fall in her lap when she returns home.
Your wife earning more money is only a bad thing if you think it is. Not being the primary provider shouldn't emasculate you. Instead it allows you more opportunities to spend time with your kids, be a better father and husband, and pursue things in your own career that you would like as well.
Written by Drew Schroeder for Healthyliving.care.
