Susan, a 29-year-old mother of three, is happy to stay at home with her kids. She is financially comfortable, has help when she needs it, and has the emotional support of her husband. Her friends envy her comfortable situation. Susan’s mother was a nurse, a working mom, and Susan is relieved to live a less stressful life.

On the other hand, Carmen would like to work outside of the house. She feels stuck with her four children in the family's tiny trailer home. “In the summer, it gets very hot, and if I worked, we would have money for child-care part-time and maybe a better place to live.” Carmen adds, “Sometimes I am so curious about the world out there.” She sighs,” My husband does not want me to work outside the home.” (1)

Olivia has mixed feelings. Working as a physician advocating for woman’s health was challenging but also rewarding. Now, with two small children, she stays at home. She and her husband worried that she would not be able to give her family enough attention and that the stress from work could affect them negatively. Even though she is less stressed than when working, she misses being engaged with her patients, solving medical problems, and, most of all, the vital interaction with her colleagues. (2)

There are positive and negative effects to being a trad wife (3). "Trad wife," short for "traditional wife," refers to a woman who embraces traditional gender roles, often adhering to the domestic lifestyle of a housewife. This lifestyle typically includes responsibilities such as homemaking, cooking, child-rearing, and supporting her husband as the breadwinner of the family. The concept of a "trad wife" is rooted in traditional, often conservative, values through which the wife is seen as caretaker of the home and family while the husband takes on the role of provider.

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