Joseph watched his kids while his stay-at-home mom wife went for a girls trip. When she got back she expected him to have struggled but he told her it was easy. She was offended and told him at least she’s not a trash collector. Now he’s offended because she made fun of his job. Is he wrong for making it seem like being a stay-at-home mom isn’t a hard job? Or is she wrong for belittling what he does to bring home money and support their family?
Jonathan: We’ve got Joseph on the line with us. Hey, Joseph.
Joseph: Hey, guys. Good morning.
Jonathan: Good morning. So, Joseph, your problem is you have no respect for your wife. That’s like a reverse Dangerfield.
Joseph: Is that how I’m coming across now? I’ve got respect for my wife. Of course I do. My wife is lovely. We’ve been together for years.
Jonathan: Just lovely? I mean, I would describe her as beautiful. Joseph, what’s wrong with you?
Joseph: No, I was getting to that.
Jonathan: All right. You guys been together for a while? You love her, but you guys are obviously having a problem right now. What’s going on?
Joseph: So my wife’s a stay-at-home mom, and I’m not complaining about that. We’re good. I mean, it would be nice if she did work, to have double the paycheck, but we’re doing okay. I’m grateful for that. But recently what happened was that she went back home to Seattle to visit family.
Jonathan: Mm hmm.
Joseph: And I was in charge for a week, and I did everything she does. Plus my job. Taking care of the kids, feeding them, cleaning, cooking, getting groceries. And so when she gets back, she was, I don’t want to say playing the victim. But she was poking at me of like, hey, it was a mess right? It was must have been really hard.
Jonathan: So she came back thinking there would be a disaster, and you’d be like, Oh, thank God you’re back. But instead you were just like, Yeah it’s fine.
Joseph: Exactly. I mean, we did miss her. But we were fine without her.
Jonathan: Okay.
Joseph: And so that’s how I clarified, like. It was actually pretty easy. I could do it any time. Go for another week. And she was starting to get mad at that.
Jonathan: Yeah. You told her that her job was easy.
Joseph: Yeah. I mean, it was easy.
Jonathan: Being a stay at home mom is easy?
Joseph: It was for me. It’s okay. I’m not trying to blow my own horn that I’m like the super dad or really capable. But it was pretty. I was able to do it.
Jonathan: So you told her your job is easy. I was able to do my job and your job? No problem. And she got mad at this. What did she say?
Joseph: She starts going off on me. Oh, so you think it’s easy raising the kids? Just a little. And then I said yes. It was not that hard. And this is where she pissed me off. She says, well, at least it’s not like I’m picking up other people’s garbage.
Jonathan: Wait, what? What does that have to do with anything?
Joseph: Oh, it’s my job.
Jonathan: Oh, you work in sanitation?
Joseph: I do.
Jonathan: Okay. But you have been pretty clear. You don’t have any respect for her job.
Joseph: I mean. Yes.
Jonathan: So you have no respect for her as a stay at home mom?
Joseph: No, not really.
