Husbands: Would you feel emasculated having a wife that earned more/had a better job?

[Alexandrah]

I know that traditional roles have changed, and that there are stay at home fathers now and educated women holding high positions. Many men still feel that they should be the primary earner in the household and that their wives (even the ones that work) should be responsible for domestic duties.

My question is, would you feel emasculated if your wife achieved a very high salaried or respected position? If you were working at a standard blue collar job and your wife was the CEO of a company would this make you feel like less of a man? Would you happily accept the possible domestic duties and child rearing that might be required to keep the household running if your wife was working all the time? Or do you adhere to the traditional roles of the male being the dominant breadwinner and head of his household

 

[HuntingMan]

Not at all.
While it is in most mens nature to be the provider, its what we do or are supposed to, I think it would be nice having a sugar mamma bring home the bacon, fryin it up in a pan

Really tho, I dont feel threatened at all by the idea of it, tho I could understand why some men might given how we look at things like that as a gender.

 

[invisiblebabe]

My husband has said that if we ever were to adopt (biological kids are not a possibility for us), he would be willing to be a stay-at-home dad.

 

[Rebekka]

My husband wouldn't mind.

 

[Autumnleaf]

I would be relieved.

 

[ardeur]

I don't believe my husband minds staying home while I work. He's a teacher, so he has the whole summer off while I work year-round. This year I'll be earning about twice as much as he will, but we're just SO THANKFUL that the Lord is providing so much for us. We look at our work and incomes as blessings.

 

[Redguard]

I'm usually a very rational person.






But there's an irrational side of me that would feel emasculated. (Don't shoot me)

 

[cherryblossom03]

No, he wouldn't feel that way. He jokes that he'd like a "sugar momma", lol.

 

[ardeur]

Right now my husband is at home for the summer before he starts the new teaching school year. He still gets a paycheck every month, but sometimes I feel like he feels bad that I'm working and he isn't. I don't mind at all. Haha!

I certainly know that I feel bad that I don't have more time and energy to make meals, run errands, and clean the house because I'm at work all day and come home tired. I don't like putting all those things off on my husband even when I'm working and he isn't. I AM thankful for all his help, though.

 

[Beautiful Fireball]

My husband has said he doesn't mind and I believe him. Right now I earn more then he does and if our careers go as planned it is possible that I will earn more. It doesn't cause any issues in our relationship.

 

[FaithfulWife]

I can answer with confidence on this one. I am a professional shopper, a marriage coach, and going to school to finish my counseling degree. My dear hubby is a stay-at-home dad with CFS, and he homeschools our youngest two. He has a little web design business. I will always make more for than he does, and neither one of us care because we feel it's not "the husband" who has to do the earning but rather as a team they decide who has the better opportunity and as a team who has a better temperament to stay home etc. We both have home-loving, kid loving temperaments but with his CFS...it's better for us as a team if I work and he stays home. PERFECT!

 

[Xinnamon]

I think it bothers him a little that he doesn't have an income right now (he's working on a start-up) and we are living on my income. Before he quit his job he earned twice as much as what I earn now. However, I don't think it will bother him if we both have an income and I have the better job/earn more.

 

[indagroove]

Not at all.

God gives all different gifts.

 

[Darkhorse]

My wife and I have such an arrangement, and I don't feel the least bit emasculated. I am the man, she is the woman, and who makes how much money has nothing to do with it.

She loves to go "slug it out" in the legal world (which I don't have the stomach for), while I homeschool our kids (which she doesn't have the patience to do). I cook (which I'm better at) and do laundry which she gladly folds on weekends because she's better and faster at it than I am. We helped each other get through college, she helped me grow up, and I helped her pass the bar exam.

She makes the money, and I manage it (which she could do just as well, but would rather not), and we love each other like crazy!

 

[GolfingMom]

I just asked DH tonight about Todd Palin and Sarah Palin and we had a discussion of what my DH would feel like if I were in the spotlight or made more than him and he said he'd be very proud of me and to go for it. I'm NOT going for it. I enjoy being home

 

[AMOG]

I really don't get men who feel threatened by a woman who is more successful then them or earns more then them. And unfortunately, often I see those men try to put their wives down rather then use the situation as a motivator to do better themselves. (a very unhealthy situation) (not saying all guys who have a problem with successful women do this, but there are a lot of them that do.)

It is very encouraging to see so many healthy responses here.

I have a wife that makes more then me. Coming from a first marriage with a wife that couldn't hold a job and just enjoyed spending money, I have to say the latter is WAY better. We literally NEVER fight over money. She makes it, I manage it, and there has yet to be an issue.

 

[LoisGriffin]

My dh is fine with it. Its our money afterall so who cares who earns more. It all goes to the same cause.

 

[Adamantium]

I earn a bit more than twice as much as my husband. Neither of us care.

At some point, I'm sure he'll be earning more than me, and we won't care then either.

 

[Oblivious]

My DH would love it!

 

[Linnis]

He'd probably ask me to get him that bigger XBOX hard drive.