“Husbands, we are no more entitled to a restful weekend than our wives”

Posted in Relationships.
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“Husbands, we are no more entitled to a restful weekend than our wives,” author and dad Dale Partridge wrote in a Facebook post and readers had a lot of things to say, in reply.

“The luxury of rest”

Dale posted the following update before grateful pandemonium ensued:

“She spends all week serving me and the kids. I spend all week serving the bills. Most men think it’s a fair trade, but I doubt it. Husbands, we are no more entitled to a restful weekend than our wives. The badge of “breadwinner” doesn’t authorize us to escape our home duties come Saturday and Sunday. The luxury of rest is a gift many men steal from their wives each weekend. Remember, the 40-hour work week is a cultural standard, but God tells us to share our wive’s burdens and protect her from strain. It’s okay to rest, God even commands it, just make sure you’re not the only one doing it.”

Viral approval

Predictably, Dale’s post has gone completely nuts. It’s been shared almost 80,000 times and sparked over 6,000 comments.

Many, many women cheered in solidarity and thanked Dale for articulating what they’d been trying to tell the fella in their life for years.

This woman (me!) rolled her eyes and said “D’oh!” – followed by “thanks for having our backs, dude, but women have been expressing similar thoughts for years. Nobody seems to be liking and sharing our ideas on this and we’re often the ones directly affected. Dude. Also… serving is a tennis thing, not a relationship thing.”

Heart in right place

Still, Dale’s obviously got good intentions and I seem to be in the minority when it comes to feeling a little mansplained to.

The thousands of folks that commented on Dale’s page had some really compelling thoughts on his update.

“I needed so badly to hear this tonight as I’ve decided to move forward with a divorce. I wish more men had your perspective and respect,” one commenter posted.

“If only it was so easy for families to survive off of one income. I think the family unit would run so much smoother if both parents didn’t have to struggle to provide,” another suggested.

“So many women work outside of the home AND do nearly all of the work at home. So glad to hear a man “get” that their “free time” is not for playing while their wives take care of everything else,” another woman wrote.

Women’s words

It’s great that Dale’s post has sparked some wider, important conversations about the division of labour and the “luxury of rest” in homes across the globe.

Now, let’s resolve to listen to women when they raise these issues and not wait for a man to confirm they’re a thing.

The “luxury of being heard” is equally important.

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