Could you be a Househusband/Housewife?

[DementedSheep]

Hell no. Unless you are staying at home to look after young kids or you actually can't work housewife/househusband is just another word for leech and I have no respect for it. If money is no object at least do volunteer work or something to pull your weight.

Besides it would be boring.

 

[Fractral]

No, and I wouldn't want my partner to be a housewife either. I know it's probably related to my age and inexperience in relationships but I find the idea of sitting at home for the sake of someone else pretty stupid. A waste of anyone's life.
This, quite obviously, coming from someone who has never been in love.

 

[Elfgore]

I don't think I could ever do that, I have too many goals and a strong drive to create. If I go more than a few days without working on some art, I start to go crazy.

As for staying at home, I've been working at home since October, and I thought I might have devolved into some kind of rudimentary cave monster by this point but I actually have never been happier.

But I would feel like I was wasting my life, so absolutely not.

I work from home full-time as well, but maybe I have an unrealistic idea of how much time I'd have available to do actual work. If I were actually able to continue my career, even in a somewhat limited capacity, I think I would probably be okay with that. Then again, so long as any theoretical kids I have are not babies I probably would still work fulltime anyway, especially if I could do so at home.

EDIT: I realize now that the OP never mentioned kids at all. Kids would be the ONLY reason I consider letting the wife-y win all the bread in my stead, otherwise there is no excuse NOT to work in my opinion.

I should probably elaborate and say kids are totally optional. If they change your answer, go right ahead and throw them in.

 

[x EvilErmine x]

Only if their were kids involved. Otherwise no it'd drive me mad to be in the house all day.

Children change things, so if say I only had a low paying job and my wife has a much better one I would not mind giving up on work to be the one who looks after the children. At least until they started proper school then I'd go back to working.

 

[lacktheknack]

I could. I don't want to, but if I couldn't land a job, I could be a househusband.

I really enjoy cooking anyhow.

Also, I'd prefer to homeschool my kids, so unless my wife is entirely on board, it's only fair that I be the one that follows through on that.

 

[The White Hunter]

Eh, sure why not, I like cooking quite a lot.

 

[Lieju]

I wouldn't have an issue with doing stuff like that for a period of time, but not permanently.

If we lived together and one of us didn't have a job and had free time, I'd expect that partner to cook and clean anyway, though.
Overall, I'd rather not, but I might be willing to make compromises for my wife's career, depends.

My mum's husband got the opportunity to work in the US for two years, and my mum followed him there and was a housewife for that time, using the time to learn the language, study, and enjoy another country.

It wasn't the best choice for her career, but she doesn't regret it because she had fun.

And back in Finland, when both started to work again, they divided the chores equally, he tends to cook more often, though.

 

[shrekfan246]

I feel like people are completely ignoring things like hobbies and taking it rather literally that you'd never be doing anything except sitting around at home or doing chores.

Considering that what I'd like to eventually make a living doing would probably keep me cooped up in the home anyway (writing), I wouldn't have any problem with it. I already do most of the cooking and cleaning as it is, and I've never been the type to need to go and hang out in public places all crowded with people. The less interaction I have with people who get all pissy at me because of things beyond my control, the happier I am.

If the hypothetical situation prevents me from making money selling novels, of course, then I'm not entirely sure I'd be on board with it.

 

[Rednog]

How hard could it be? You hire a maid to clean, order out for food, and do what other house-spouses do...find a young somethin-somethin to sleep with while your hubby is away making that cheese so you can drive a BMW around.

 

[the December King]

Only if their were kids involved. Otherwise no it'd drive me mad to be in the house all day.

Children change things, so if say I only had a low paying job and my wife has a much better one I would not mind giving up on work to be the one who looks after the children. At least until they started proper school then I'd go back to working.

And that sums me up as well. Happy to take care of the house, as a stay-at-home dad. Even willing to do more of the chores around the house if I don't have a job and my spouse does - but it's a temporary situation with me, the next contract is always around the corner. I would not commit to a houseperson role, and neither would she, nor would I expect her to.

 

[Robert Marrs]

Never. The thought of being financially dependent as an adult on another person, especially a spouse, is not one that settles well with me. Sure when you are working to an extent you are financially dependent on your boss but its much easier to find a job than it is to find a new spouse. The thought of receiving alimony after a divorce makes me shudder. Even if I was working for minimum wage and my spouse was making 6 figures it would be better than not working at all.

 

[Belaam]

Did it for a year with one daughter age 5, the other 1. It was nice, though a good bit of work. I lived alone for several years, including a couple of years while in the service and got good at getting things inspection level clean quickly. I'm frankly a little better at it than my wife, but I'm also get paid better. The nicest part of staying home vs. my usual job is that once or twice a week, I could blow off doing most of what I was supposed to do that day to play with the girls and make up the stuff I didn't do the next day. That's not really an option at a "normal" job.

 

[persephone]

I'd love being a housewife, actually. I don't like to go out much, and I wouldn't mind doing the housework and cooking. And being at home all day works well with trying to get work done on my computer.

However, because of some serious health problems I have, I'm not actually fit for the job; I couldn't keep up with all the work. But if I were healthy, I'd be all over it.

Don't want kids, though -- or to get married at all, probably. But if I were for some reason married without kids, being a housewife would be perfect for me.

 

[Kevlar Eater]

No. I'd rather live alone than be a househusband, not because of the whole 'househusbands don't get much respect from either men or women' bit (though that bit plays into why I don't wanna be one), but because I'm not privy to being the slave in a relationship. Bedroom, maybe, but I don't wanna feel like a car, to be used for a few purposes and then 'fixed' and/or discarded when it stops working properly.

Personally, I could not live with myself if I were reduced to that. And to clarify in advance, I will not belittle those who choose to be housewives/husbands, it's their choice.

I'm not sure what your idea of housewives/husbands is, but it's a very strange one.
If your partner treats you like a slave, your domestic roles are not the problem.
And I say this as someone who's been both the housegirlfriend and the breadwinner.

If the breadwinner can also do the housework as well or better than the houseperson, what's the point in the houseperson's existence? They exist because it's an alternative to paying someone to clean the home, with the lower risk of getting your safe emptied out while the breadwinner is away.

Also, no one would bat an eye your way whether you make the money in a relationship or tend to the home; I have to deal with the stigma of making money or risk emasculation. I've personally never been in a relationship, but that's what I predict would happen were I in one. I've observed enough of this behavior from people around me aside from family, and I don't wanna put myself in that mess.

Last but not least, I believe two people in a relationship should be on equal standing. If one exercises the power to lord over the other by any means, then I'd think that was a crap relationship. I'm not exactly the go-to person in judging the worthiness of peoples' pairing up, and I'm not dumb/drunk enough to try.

 

[Risingblade]

Do I have to be good at it?

 

[Movitz]

If I could be a stay at home dad and still be respected by my peers, not risk that my wife would leave me for another man and not get laughed at by society, sure.

I hope to work with movies in the future, but until I break through or after I've had enough of it, I could totally stay in or retire back to my home. Shit, staying at home and from time to time cleaning up my appartment is what I do most of my days already.

But women don't really go crazy for the men living that sort of life, so I would never consider it.

 

[kickyourass]

I could be a 'househusband' easily and happily, I'm good at housework, I love cooking, I've never really cared how society saw me so that's not an issue and honestly I'm ok with the idea of being the more (For lack of a better word) 'reliant' one in the relationship. Plus I am psychotically protective of children, and I predict that this will go up to around 11 thousand concerning my own, so it might be that I'd WANT to be the one left at home to look after the kids.

 

[soren7550]

I already sort of do that.

I live with my boyfriend, and he has work while I don't. Regardless of that though, I'd still clean up the place and make him dinner because I love him and junk. I'd probably bother him a bit more to help tidy up if I had a job though, but since I don't, the only chore I really ask him to help out with is garbage.

Since we have roommates though, I do sometimes leave some chores undone since the boyfriend and I feel that they should help around as well (they usually don't, so I end up doing them anyway).

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Well I don't want to marry or have kids so I wouldn't even consider becoming a house-spouse.

 

[suitepee7]

no, i do that shit anyway, and work, and go uni... if i was limited to just doing errands i'd get bored, but most importantly i never want to be financially dependent on other people, so even a charity job would not keep me going.

i wouldn't want my girlfriend to be one either, i like that we both work and have shit to do in our lives