The man said they agreed to pursue their careers and firmly committed to never becoming stay-at-home spouses. However, the woman recently revealed her desire to become a housewife, and this made him question if he truly knew her. Now, the man fears he might be facing irreparable trust issues.

This man and his wife had agreed they would never be stay-at-home spouses

Share icon Image credits: Mikhail Nilov / pexels (not the actual photo)

However, the woman changed her mind

Share icon Share icon

Share icon

Share icon Image credits: LightFieldStudios / envanto (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Negative-Dog1600

In recent decades, the share of stay-at-home parents has fluctuated, rising during periods of higher unemployment

Given the chance, many would take the route that the Redditor’s spouse is thinking about. A Gallup Poll found that more than half of women in the U.S. with children under the age of 18, 56%, would prefer to stay home over going to work, and 39% of women without children under the age of 18 said they wanted the role of homemaker. However, only 24% do. There are multiple reasons for this, but the US has largely been a place that makes few allowances for the needs of parents, and working mothers in particular. Parental leave is not mandated, work hours are often long, and the state doesn’t provide free or subsidized countrywide childcare, which exists in many other countries. Not to mention that unpaid domestic work tends to fall disproportionately on women. Women are significantly less satisfied at work too, according to data released by the Conference Board, a business research organization. Plus, a global report on women at work released by Deloitte found that, in the US, a standout reason for that was lack of flexibility. While watching a partner change is hard, it’s not that uncommon. Personalities are more malleable than we might think. Most of us change, though often gradually, according to a study published in 2018 by the University of Houston, University of Tübingen, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which assessed the personality traits of 1,795 people in the U.S. in adolescence and then 50 years later. (Many participants of the study became more emotionally stable, conscientious, and agreeable over time.) “Communication has and will always be the key to mitigate negative feelings around change in your relationship,” said Jeff Gardere, a psychologist in Manhattan and an adviser for Ro Mind, a digital health service addressing anxiety and depression. “Talk about the change you experience, perceive, and are impacted by. These continuous conversations should always be framed in the mindset of learning, compromise, and conflict resolution.”

As his story went viral, the man joined the discussion in the comment section

Share icon

Share icon Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!

Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 47Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 85Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 53Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 35Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 80Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 38Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 93Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 42Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 99Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 86Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 75Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 17Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 2Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 53Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 17Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 27Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 16Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 7Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 42Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 98Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 56Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 2Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 17Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 2Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 65Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 58Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 96Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 82Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 43Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 83Wife Insists On Becoming A Housewife  Is Shocked Husband Wants Divorce - 81