TresSugar

Money Buys Happiness in Today's Old-Fashioned Marriages

Colleen Barrett — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:45:13 PST

While Dutch moms say the key to a happy life is a part-time or no-time job, German moms find the same life stressful because they want to work. But there is a whole other type of stay-at-home moms in every developed country: those who stay, because they can afford to.

They've been called jet-set moms, spending days shopping in high-end boutiques, at life-coaching classes, and traveling with husbands on business trips. Despite college educations and former careers, they don't miss working one bit. In fact, when the Daily Mail interviewed three couples who've divided marriage into two clear-cut roles - breadwinner and caretaker - all couples said their divide-and-conquer approach was key to a happy marriage.

If a woman wants to stop working to raise kids or focus on turning an hobby into a job because she can afford to, I say go for it. It's what the men say that's so disturbing. They croon over how their wives (with the help of a nanny) arrange their sock drawers, cook their dinners, wash their clothes, and plan vacations that they just "turn up for."

"Sam is the perfect housewife. She doesn’t expect me to do anything domestic. She buys all my clothes, and makes sure that when I am at home, I can totally relax," said 38-year-old Scott Mullins. She "never calls me with problems at work - she knows not to disturb me."

That doesn't sound like a marriage - if a marriage is a partnership - but nostalgia for good, old-fashioned sexism.

What Is a Jet-Set Housewife?

Annie Scudder — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:45:27 PST

Teacher Frances Childs says the teenage girls she knows want to grow up to become doctors, lawyers, and housewives. She writes in the Daily Mail today that ambitious young women realize that educated and well-off "jet-set" housewives can actually have it all.

Childs claims American women would follow the lead of Dutch women, declining to work full-time and instead spending time with their children and enjoying hobbies, if only they didn't need two incomes. That's where the rich husband comes in. Not only will your husband's money keep you out of the office, but it will keep you out of the home, too, since you can presumably hire a nanny and housekeeper. Younger women, Childs says, "have realized that instead of spending the day listening to some bore drone on about sales figures, it might be more fun to go swimming with the children while the cleaner sorts out the house." She goes on:

Today’s breed of stay-at-home mother is impeccably turned out - after all, they're the only ones rich enough to be able to not work. Mostly in their late 20s, they're clad in designer gear and have the time to have their hair styled weekly at an upmarket salon.

If you ask me, jet-set housewives sound just like ladies who lunch.

Househusbands: Do Men Do Enough Around the House?

TresSugar — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:00:33 PDT

The third most important factor in a happy marriage: sharing the housework, according to a 2007 Pew Research Center study.

Yet many of the happily married women I know still gripe that their husbands don't do enough around the house. Or, they do enough, but only when they are told to. It's an ugly truth that the most liberated, headstrong women are loathe to admit.

Which is why I found this article about how it feels to have a "househusband" alternately encouraging and depressing. Writer Louise Parker begins by asking, "Surely no woman about the house would fail to clean the fridge for three months, only do the washing-up when it’s threatening to suffocate the kitchen, or scrutinise pieces of lawn mower at the dining-room table?"

Though her househusband has his strengths - gender-stereotypical talents like fixing things around the house - Parker admits he doesn't do as much housecleaning as she'd like: "the househusband is not, and will never be, a housewife."

To find out more, keep reading

Tell Mommy: Does the Term "Housewife" Offend You?

LilSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:00:59 PST

I've never been a full time stay-at-home mother (except for when I was on maternity leave), but I was raised by one and feel the sting every time I hear the term "housewife" used to describe a mom who opted out of the work force to focus on her children. The SAHM mamas I know aren't popping bonbons on the couch and watching soap operas or scrubbing the kitchen floor with a toothbrush and playing bridge, they are educating their offspring, shuttling carpools, catering school parties (when a lot of working parents can't make it), not to mention raising the next generation. This doesn't discount the fact that many working moms do some of the same things. But, it's 2009 and the term "housewife" seems a bit demeaning and outdated. What's your opinion?

What to TiVo: Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:59:52 PST

8:00 Last Man Standing (new)
8:30 Cougar Town (new, season premiere)
9:00 The River (new)
10:00 Body of Proof (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guests John Goodman, Kevin Nealon, and Robin Thicke)

8:00 NCIS (new)
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (new)
10:00 Unforgettable (new)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guests Viola Davis)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guests Joss Stone and Dave Stewart)

8:00 Glee (new)
9:00 New Girl (new)
9:30 Raising Hope (new)

8:00 The Biggest Loser (new)
10:00 Parenthood (new)
11:35 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guests Tyler Perry and The Cranberries)
12:35 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Donald Trump and Idris Elba)

8:00 Hart of Dixie (repeat)
9:00 Ringer (new)

What to TiVo: Monday

BuzzSugar — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:59:31 PST

8:00 The Bachelor (new)
10:00 Castle (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guests Jeff Goldblum and David Alan Grier)

8:00 How I Met Your Mother (new)
8:30 2 Broke Girls (new)
9:00 Two and a Half Men (new)
9:30 Mike & Molly (new)
10:00 Hawaii Five-0 (new)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guest Reese Witherspoon)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guests Carol Burnett and Phil Keoghan)

8:00 House (new)
9:00 Alcatraz (new)

8:00 The Voice (new)
10:00 Smash (new)
11:35 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guest Jennifer Lopez)
12:35 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Nicolas Cage, Curt Schilling, and John Besh)

8:00 Gossip Girl (new)
9:00 Hart of Dixie (new)

What to TiVo: Sunday

BuzzSugar — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:59:59 PST

8:00 Once Upon a Time (new)
9:00 Desperate Housewives (new)
10:00 Pan Am (new)

8:00 Grammy Awards (live)

8:00 The Simpsons (new)
8:30 Napoleon Dynamite (new)
9:00 Family Guy (new)
9:30 American Dad! (new)

9:00 Fear Factor (new)

See Steve Carell and Keira Knightley's Apocalyptic Movie Poster

BuzzSugar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:46:24 PST

Check out the poster for Seeking a Friend For the End of the World - Moviefone
Read about the romance Justin Long is writing and starring in - NextMovie
Is Real Housewives of Miami coming back for another season? - BuddyTV
Get a peek at The Secret Circle's Valentine's episode - Zap2It
The 10 best movies of character actor Luis Guzmán - Rotten Tomatoes
Watch Michael Showalter confirm the Wet Hot American Summer sequel - HuffPostTV
Find out why Paradise Lost has been scrapped - /Film
10 movies that would be great in 3D - GeekSugar

What to TiVo: Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:59:00 PST

8:00 Last Man Standing (new)
8:30 Last Man Standing (new)
9:00 The River (new, series premiere)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guests Michelle Williams, Damon Wayans Jr., and 50 Cent)

8:00 NCIS (new)
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (new)
10:00 Unforgettable (new)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guests Denzel Washington and The Fray)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guest Kenneth Branagh)

8:00 Glee (new)
9:00 New Girl (new)
9:30 Raising Hope (new)

8:00 The Biggest Loser (new)
10:00 Parenthood (new)
11:35 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guests Chelsea Handler and Jon Huntsman)
12:35 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Harry Connick Jr. and Kellan Lutz)

8:00 90210 (new)
9:00 Ringer (new)

Buzz In: Which Other Real Housewives Deserve Spin-Off Series?

Lauren Bradshaw — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:23:28 PDT

There's no doubt that Bethenny Frankel has become a star in her own right since doing The Real Housewives of New York. I can't say I'm surprised; her dynamic personality and blunt, tell-it-like-it-is mouth is the perfect recipe for reality TV. I'm hooked on her latest series Bethenny Ever After (which airs again tonight!), but it has me thinking about the other housewives who could make a successful go of it on their own.

I'd love to see Lisa Vanderpump from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills get her own show (with dog Giggy in tow, of course), but Kyle Richards would also be a worthy spin-off star (she's kind of the Bethenny of Beverly Hills anyhow). Teresa Guidice of The Real Housewives of New Jersey has already been rumored for a possible series (her fiery temper could fuel some juicy episodes!) and as much as it pains me to say it, I think it's only a matter of time before we see a series with The Real Housewives of Orange County's Gretchen Rossi and boyfriend Slade Smiley. Which housewife do you think should step into the spotlight solo?

Photo courtesy of Bravo