3 Steps to Take When the Wife Earns More

Step #2: Express (and receive) thanks

A young wife I know who works long hours and earns more than her husband expresses frequent and deep appreciation for the household responsibilities he handles and his ability to manage the kids’ schedules flawlessly.

But here’s another crucial component. Her husband is willing to receive it. He’s willing to say, “Okay, we’re one. And this is what I am doing right now for us … together, as a couple.”

This again shifts a potential source of conflict into an opportunity for connection, allowing this couple to appreciate each other’s contributions and strengthen their bond.

Back to Rachel and Sam: “When Rachel thanks me,” Sam says, “especially for the little things I didn’t even think she noticed—like the fact that I raked the leaves this week—it touches my heart. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for this woman.”