In today’s modern world, traditional gender roles are rapidly shifting. Long gone are the days where the man goes out to his job and the woman stays home to do the cleaning, cooking, and childrearing. While it still has a way to go, gender equality is more essential than ever if we’re to collectively break with outdated stereotypes.
One Reddit user ran into resistance after he invited his wife to hang out with the guys because he was sick of her being criticized by the trad wives in his family - his mom even said she belonged in the kitchen. The husband thinks the family women are being mean, but still wonders if he’s the jerk in the drama that's unfolded.
More info: Reddit
Guy’s traditional family expected his wife to spend family time in the kitchen, but the trad wives were jealous of her cooking skills
Image credits: our-team (not the actual photo)
Wife tried hard to get the other women to like her, but even her father-in-law couldn’t get through to them
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Guy asked his wife to step out of the kitchen and spend some time with the men in his family
Image credits: katemangostar (not the actual photo)
The other women in the family weren’t happy about her skipping cooking duty and told her husband she should join them in the kitchen, but he said they were being too mean
Image credits: Karolina Kaboompics (not the actual photo)
Mom said he shouldn’t allow his wife to spend time with the men, he responded by saying he’s sick of his wife getting criticized and would prefer not to come over
Image credits: Slow-Cheesecake5654
Now he's wondering whether or not he's being the jerk by putting his foot down to the trad wives' behavior
OP begins his story by telling the community that he and his wife have been together for 7 years and married for 6 months. He adds that his wife isn’t close to her family, so when they settled down, they chose to live close to his very traditional family instead.
OP adds that his great grandmother always believed that during family time, the women should do the cooking while the men should hang out together and stay out of the kitchen. OP says that he and his brothers were taught to cook by his dad, and that he’s never really agreed with his family’s strict traditional views.
He goes on to say that his wife is an excellent cook and that, although they take turns cooking at home, he loves it when she does the cooking. The problem, OP tells the readers, is that the trad wives in his family are jealous of his wife’s cooking skills and have criticized her and bossed her about in the kitchen.
As a result, OP invited his wife to leave the cooking duties behind and hang out with the guys. He says she immediately fit right in, but this stirred up trouble with the other wives, who told OP she should be with them in the kitchen instead. OP told them that she’s only hanging out with the guys because they were so mean to her, and that he’d readily skip family get-togethers if it would make them happier.
Although OP’s wife felt bad about the situation, OP’s dad joined him in telling her that the other women were just being too hard on her and that she doesn’t deserve the unfair treatment. The 3 even discussed the option of spending less time with the family, but the wife still hoped that things would improve.
OP’s mom then confronted him about the situation, saying he was wrong to allow his wife to spend time with the guys. OP said it would help if the women could try being nicer to his wife, but his mom said he was making too big a deal of it. Frustrated, OP turned to Reddit to ask if he was being a jerk for protecting his wife from the nasty trad wives.
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
In her article for Rock and Art, Flor Guzzanti writes that gender stereotypes have long determined how people should behave, dress, and even think, all based on their gender. These harmful societal beliefs are ingrained in human culture, influencing everything from personal relationships to career choices.
In recent years, though, there has been a noticeable shift in the direction of challenging traditional roles and advocating for gender equality. This positive movement is especially prominent among Gen Z, which is known for its commitment to social justice and progressive values.
Media plays a major role in crafting societal perceptions of gender. From films to advertisements, the depiction of gender roles can either challenge stereotypes or reinforce them.
According to an article by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), education is key for breaking gender stereotypes.
In Lithuania, for example, it’s a fact that men rule fields such as computing (87.5%) and engineering (83.1%), while women hold the vast majority of degrees in social services (81.6%) and health care (74.7%). The trend is similar in other EU countries.
The situation won’t change until both teachers and parents encourage kids to pick more unusual fields, like science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for girls, and education and welfare for boys.
“The classroom should be an environment that challenges gender stereotypes and breaks them down,” says Virginija Langbakk, EIGE’s director.
What do you think of the situation OP finds himself in? Should he keep challenging family tradition, or let his mother tell him what to do? Share your opinion with us in the comments!
Redditors said there’s no way the guy is being a jerk and even suggested that he, his wife, and his father should have their own dinners without all the trad wives’ negativity
