A man is not the plan, the rise of teen tradwives

What was once thought to be outdated, tradwives are making a return, and they are coming back as teenagers.

Throughout most of the early 20th century, most women were traditional wives due to strict legal rules, financial dependence, and intense societal pressure. Women were only allowed to own property, open a bank account or get a credit card if they had their husband’s permission. This led to most women being homemakers who focused on raising their children and managing all household chores while the husband worked outside the home as the sole provider.

In the 1960s and into the 1970s, the second wave of feminism movement started. This era was marked by women shifting away from the homemaker role while fighting for equal pay, the right to own a credit card and obtain a career beyond the home.

Decades after the second wave of feminism, the tradwife role had revived in the form of an internet trend in the 2020s. These tradwives are social media influencers who promote a traditional role-centred lifestyle. They advocate for female submission, homemaking, and their husband being the sole provider through their content.

The tradwife subculture is supposed to be marketed as a steady return to domesticity, but it has come with controversies. It has often been noted that popular tradwife influencers are highly paid and are monetizing an unrealistic aesthetic that is unattainable for the average tradwife.

What has also become a concern is that there is a rise in 18 and 19-year-olds becoming tradwives. Recently, these young tradwives took to social media to share that they have no job, income, nor do they have an education, but they are exactly where they want to be.

While it is up to everyone to choose their own path in life being a tradwife has more cons than pros.

While watching commentary videos relating to the concerning rise of tradwives, clips of women who were once tradwives were featured in these videos and have encouraged young women not to make the same choices they made and to have something going on for themselves outside of a relationship.

Not all, but most relationships that start so young do not last. Unfortunately, divorces have occurred. Some men are willing to throw away 10, 20, 30 or more years with their wife for a younger woman. Even if a tradwife is married to their forever person and they have a happy and healthy marriage, life can still happen. The husband could either pass unexpectedly, must take time off work due to an injury or illness, or could get fired or laid off from their job. In either one of these scenarios, the tradwife could be left penniless and have to start over with nothing if there is no safety net. This is why the tradwife narrative is not encouraged, and it is recommended that they at least have a part-time job so they can be okay if something happens.

Even in a relationship, it is still recommended for one to maintain their own identity outside of a relationship. When one continuously suppresses their own personal desires in favour of prioritizing their husband’s and children’s needs, it creates a lack of self-identity.

As mentioned earlier, back in the day, women were not tradwives by choice. They were tradwives because they did not have equal rights. So, the tradwife narrative is not a flex. Solely relying on a man can do more harm than good overall.