Woman asks husband for 'half his company' after he tells her to quit job, stay at home with kids

In any marriage, asking that the wife stay home to take of the house and kids seems like an easy demand to make of a woman. But is it fair? Is resorting to so-called traditional solutions the only way out? More importantly, if both partners are earning well, and not one more than the other, does the onus to stay back home and take care of children only fall on the woman? One woman asks this very question in a Reddit post that went viral recently. Here's what went on.

What did the viral post reveal?

Man tells wife to quit job and stay at home, she asks for half his company | Image: Pexels/representational

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In a Reddit post shared almost six months ago, a woman with no other place to turn, sought the help of the internet in figuring out a domestic dispute of sorts. After she was told by her husband to quit her job and stay at home and take of the house and their children she turned around and asked him for "half his company."

OP wrote: "AITAH for telling my husband that he needs to give me half his company if he wants me to be a housewife? My husband and I (both 35) have been married for 6 years and we have 2 children together and 1 on the way. He said that he wanted me to be a housewife and stop working. I was very disturbed by that but he explained that it was better for our family and children since he can afford very good living."

The original poster even shared the reason behind her request. In the event the marriage works out then the money stays where it is. But knowing how most marriages turn out these days, she, being astute, wanted to secure her future. Her argument was that in case the marriage ended in divorce, she would not be left without anything, especially considering that she'd been taking care of everything at home all those years.

"After a few weeks thinking I told him that I would agree but only if I get 1/2 his company. He was surprised by this but I explained further that the more I stay at home the less chance I would have to find a well paying job should we ever divorce because I would have less merits, while he would stay making more money each year. So I want half of the company. If we never divorce, which is the goal of all marriages then it wouldn¡¯t matter but should it end, it would be the price of me staying home and raising our children so he could be less worried and stressed out (his words, that he would be less anxious and stressed out if he knew they were with me rather than with strangers in daycare or nannies). When I told my friends they called me the ah. My best friend was very angry and called me disgusting. So I am taken aback a little."

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Sadly for her, people around her, IRL, were quite shocked, even angry, but it does make you think about how this wasn't an unfair ask at all. Our society teaches us to create homemakers with women mostly taking up that role, but the moment the marriage hits a roadblock, it's almost always the woman who suffers without any financial cushion to fall back on. And what of all the work a homemaker puts into creating a life at home for the partner and their children? How do you calculate its worth? It's as if we're okay as long as this happens to a woman, but the very thought of challenging that notion has people up in arms. What do you think?

How did the internet react?

The internet was quite supportive of OP | Image: Pexels/representational

The post got 23k upvotes and over 12k likes. One user summed it up best by writing, "NTA and you shouldn't bend on this. You have as much a right to a secure financial future as he does. If he won't do this, he can't afford you or he is looking to create a power imbalance that puts you at a disadvantage. In future, keep your marital business to yourself. Your friends don't get a vote."

Another user with first-hand experience in a matter similar to OP's wrote, "I gave my wife 49%. I still wanted to run the business my way but understood her needs. Sold it 10 years ago married 40 years this year."

A third further added, "NTA. To me, this sounds reasonable for exactly the reasons you've given. You don't want to be the bitter woman finding out in her 50s that waiting tables is her only option because her professional career skills have passed their due date, and your husband has moved on. You don't want to be trapped in a loveless or even abusive marriage because you're financially dependent. And you don't want to be a SAHM begging her husband for an allowance."

"NTA. He¡¯s asking you to make a sacrifice for the sake of the company, so equity in the company is appropriate compensation for this. If you never get divorced then no worries. If you do, then the extra attention he¡¯s able to give to the business due to your taking on the domestic roles benefits both of you equally, as it should," chimed in a fourth.

Check out the original post below

AITAH for telling my husband that he needs to give me half his company if he wants me to be a housewife?
byu/Status-Mention6793 inAITAH

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