Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Think too much emphasis is put on time working rather than what that work is on Mumsnet

52 replies

Dacatspjs · 13/10/2025 10:55

Time after time on Mumsnet when people come for advice on their relationship and there is a disparity in earnings and people are frustrated posters say that the financial contribution doesn't matter so much as the time spent working. I.e it doesn't matter if your bringing in three times as much as your partner, if you're both working full time then your home contributions should also be equal.

For me this misses a huge point about different types of jobs and the levels of stress, satisfaction and time you may need to decompress bring.

I had a previous partner, where I earned double what he did, I also worked from home, so ended up doing most of the housework. It was absolutely draining. But he tried to say I had more free time as I wasnt commuting. Thing is his job, was a thing he was passionate about (sports coach) he would happily spend hours at work because it was also his hobby. He would proudly tell people he was happy to sacrifice earning potential for work fulfillment, whilst I was picking up the slack.

Similarly I've worked with men who expect their wives to pick up the slack at home because they are "working" 50 hour weeks, in reality hours are spent at lunches, dossing around the office- they could leave earlier, but choose not to because they enjoy spending time with their work mates and not having to go home and get stuck in with childcare (they laugh about this, and will look for opportunities to extend the work day)

I'm not saying everyone is like this, or every disparity of earnings should be viewed through these lenses. But I am getting quite tired of advice to OP's being it's time spent at work that is important, not financial contribution - it fails to recognise that the emotional effort of working and stress of different roles can be massive.

OP posts:
Dolphinnoises · 13/10/2025 11:05

I’ve done jobs where my equal colleagues were the sole working husbands. Later, after a big move, I’ve done the sort of jobs wives do as job number 2. The only difference with the “little job” is a lack of autonomy about my time and priorities. In some ways that can be more stressful.

SalamiSammich · 13/10/2025 11:00

I'm with you.

Imo if you contribute 50% to the bills then that's your financial commitment fulfilled.

Equally, if you do 50% bills you still need to do 50% housework and childcare.

Earning more or less doesn't buy you out of those percentages.nunless you agree to something else with your partner, like 75% financial contribution for 25% reduction in your housework allocation.

Women seem to love trotting out the "doing more to protect weekend family time" line though.

Swipe left for the next trending thread