The tradwife movement

[Chocaholick]

AIBU to find the ‘tradwife’ movement absolutely horrific?

Essentially it’s a small core of women with deep internalised misogyny, who are making £££ by pretending they don’t work and indoctrinating young women to be ‘submissive’ to men and wait on them hand and foot, while feeding the manosphere and emboldening its members. It uses Christianity to brainwash followers into believing it’s God’s will for husbands to basically treat their wives like servants and ‘lead them’, and imposes a very long list of ‘duties’ on women while all that is expected of men is to work a job (like they wouldn’t be if they were single!).

It seems to be really catching on, even here in the UK.

Check out ballerina farm if you want to see modern day slavery dressed up as instagram goals 🤢

I can’t imagine anyone on mumsnet falling for that bullshit.

Let’s not pretend it’s just Christianity.

I suppose it’s a choice. If it appeals to some people then fair enough.

I’ve worked with some young women who have said that they feel as though feminism has done a number on them. They complained that they now feel as though they have to work when really they’d rather be at home spending time with their kids and keeping the house clean.

Obviously it’s good that women have the opportunity to work if that’s what they want to do, but we have to respect that not all women want that.

I recently read somewhere that women in the 1950s were happier than they are now so maybe there’s something in it.

It wouldn’t be for me but I can kind of see the appeal. As long as it’s a choice then there’s no exploitation?

I’m talking about ‘tradwife’ the specific subculture, not ‘traditional wives’ in general

They are Mormons - a very particular kind of ‘tradwife’ lifestyle…!

I’m not at all talking down women who want be SAHMs but that isn’t what this is about.

This is about a notion that wives are somehow in need of ‘management’ by a husband that makes all the decisions and dictates virtually everything she should do, while bringing comparatively little to the table himself. Just because he’s male.

The thing is there is nothing trad about these women. They are earning hundreds of thousands a year, oftentimes more than their husbands promoting a lifestyle that they themselves don’t live. They promote being supported by a man, when in many cases they are the breadwinners.

the hypocrisy is outstanding

while bringing comparatively little to the table himself.

I thought they were all rich?

It’s social media though, it’s all lies to make a quick buck. People need to wise up and stop following these people.

Weren't most 1950s housewives on drugs?

This isn't the fault of feminism. It's just hard to sustain a household on one income these days.

I think you need a reality check if you are comparing this woman’s like as modern slavery.

30% disagree with me..

Ah, apologies. I just read your OP again.

It’s those promoting the lifestyle you have an issue with, not those who adopt the lifestyle.

I agree, it is kind of ironic that they’re promoting a life of financial dependence whilst raking it in!!

Or outside of Mumsnet.

Unless they’re particularly happy about the never having to go out to work bit.

Which to be fair is something some women do aspire to.

It is all a bit odd and manipulative. I remember seeing someone claiming to follow this lifestyle on the channel 4 programme Wife Swap, 20 years ago.

At the time, I felt she was treating her husband like an idiot. Full of "he is the big man, I do what he says", but it was obvious the arrangement would not have withstood him having an independent thought, or asking her to do something she didn't want to.

The Instagram versions are even more obviously nonsense.

The majority of 1950’s housewife’s worked. Those that didnt were living in a post-war world of rationing, shortages and a lot of hardship
as well as trauma.
We should be careful what we misunderstand and wish for.

So why cant women think for themselves? Are women less smart than men?

Oh there's a novel I just read about, can't recall the title, about an influencer tradwife who wakes up one morning back on 1890 and discovers the actual reality in terms of cruelty, sheer grind, misogyny etc, rather than just filming herself wearing gingham and making butter.

The majority of 1950’s housewife’s worked
@Lucelulu are you sure?

It definitely was the minority who worked!

Yesteryear

Statistics I’ve looking at lately suggest that 61percent of women worked in the early 1950’s - not necessarily full time, most part time. They were frequently refused contracts for employment as they were so likely to get pregnant soon

Post war there were big waiting lists of young women for part time insecure employment in the factories. Don’t have statistics to hand mind you