Is this a ‘Soft life’

[Wellthatwasabrupt]

And would you want it?

Has Dh, one young Dc and dogs, lives overseas by the beach and countryside, nice house with pool and sea views.
Works 6 hours per week from home. Does all drop offs and pick ups, food shop, dinners, majority to do with Dc and sorting bills. Has a cleaner.
Dh works Mon-Fri -finishes 4.30, no one works weekends.
Days are free based around Dc school drops, coffee with friends, Pilates, yoga, studying or reading if you like, watching Netflix all day if you like, shopping, beach, pool, garden

Would you call this a soft life? Would you like it, be honest?

I would sign up for that. It sounds lovely and well balanced.

I would bloody love it

Is this described as your actual life, OP?
Or have you described your dream life?

Whether or not it's a great life surely depends on the underlying factors, like health, child's wellbeing, job security , relations with the wider family?

There's much opportunity to brood in a life ilke that.

As long as the relationship and future are secure this life sounds lovely to me.

That changes my answer. Getting by, no thanks, very comfortable/loaded yes please.

Unless there's a massive drip feed, there's nothing to suggest the OP has a chronic illness so that is entirely irrelevant to this thread (and also entirely changes my view if there was an illness or disability).

This thread asked for opinions. My opinion is that I'd be bored because I have ambition.

Similarly I don't agree that people make a societal contribution if they're not working. Watching netflix and doing pilates is not maximising a healthy adult's potential to contribute. If she's working 6 hours, she's making approximately 34 hours less contribution per week to society/the economy than your average full time worker. (That's a fact, not an opinion).

It sounds a lovely life, definitely “soft”.

I do think if you spend all your time “consuming” though (reading, Netflix etc) dinner or later that will turn into a desire to create. I guess cooking, gardening etc might fulfill that need but I’d be surprised if this person didn’t end up wanting to have something to work on.

I’m curious - is this someone you know, or you OP. What’s the purpose of asking anyone’s opinion on this?

Who is this person and why do you care?

I wouldn’t like the lack of work, or living outside of the UK. I would like to live in the country and by the sea in theory but I wonder if in practice I’d miss my Greater London town. I do love the sea though. I would love the dogs but not the one child as I have 2 and love having 2 - if anything I’d want more.
On balance, I’d take my life over this one.

It would be a very different lifestyle if they were wealthy wouldn't it. 'Getting by' sounds as though it could be quite stressful which is maybe why the OP is positing for opinions.

It’s an incredibly easy life but I’d be bored. I need a purpose.

Been there, done that.

Got bored to death, brain resembled mush and became far too nice.

Came to my senses, got back to work and to my bitchy self and to make sure I make my own money.

Much better!

I’d love sea view.

That 'soft life' sounds to me like a softer version of the rural or suburban white picket fence 'idyllic' lifestyle peddled by tradwives. We're all burnt out. We all need a break and a decent standard of living but I'm always very wary of idealising any particular lifestyle.

Is there something wrong with being nice though

Yes, when you are too nice and people start taking you for granted.

Sounds like an active retirement suitable in your 60s, dull for a younger person

I don't know what a "soft life" is, sounds like some vapid Instagram bollocks.

It sound like an easy life, but it wouldn't suit me.

This is a weird thread tbh. Even weirder that you're persistently dodging all the questions about why you're asking and what you're hoping to get out of it. You're asking people to comment on 'someone's' life, but then getting very defensive. So if it's actually you we're talking about, OP then why is it so important to you that a load of internet randoms think your life sounds great? Surely if you're genuinely happy with your life it wouldn't matter to you whether others would make different choices. If it's not you, then why are you so invested in what other people think about someone else's life? It's all a bit odd.

I think the OP is the husband & he’s pissed off because his wife isn’t happy with her ‘soft life’ but he thinks she should be.

If you're right, how sad.

Imagine telling your spouse that you're unhappy and instead of listening to you and trying to address the source of your unhappiness, they're determined to prove you 'wrong' by seeking the opinion of a load of strangers.

It's also daft because it completely ignores the fact that people are unique and complex and there's no one way to have a good life. I bloody love my life but I'm sure there are plenty of people who wouldn't want to swap with me, and that's perfectly fine! They're not me and I'm not them.

Exactly! I wouldn’t like this woman’s life at all.

OP, if this is the case, listen to her.

I'd love that life, work doesn't in any way fulfil me, I'd rather have time to study or do hobbies, etc.

I wouldn’t want it, or enjoy it. It feels a bit unproductive - I work in a creative industry, and also spend my spare time creatively, so I get a sense of achievement and accomplishment from designing and making.
I also love studying, so I would enjoy that bit - but it feels a bit pointless without a goal.

I said this some time back upthread, and OP didn't bother to deny it.

I’m a bit surprised by a lot of the replies here saying how boring they’d find this life and how looking after their children and going for coffee dates and relaxing wouldn’t be enough for them.

The amount of threads there are from worn out mothers saying how they can’t juggle work, home, children and relationships etc I thought the majority would be swooning over this care free existence.