Man threatens divorce unless wife becomes a 'proper homemaker' within a month, asks if he's wrong

Before taking the plunge into marriage, it is crucial that both partners openly discuss their expectations from life and, most importantly, from each other. Without such conversations, unresolved issues can often lead to bitterness in their relationship after marriage, negatively affecting not just the couple but their families as well. Something similar came to light when a 33-year-old man, u/hopefulshelter3491, shared his marital dilemma on Reddit. The man gave his 32-year-old wife, Steph, an ultimatum—either become a proper full-time homemaker within a month or they part ways.

The couple had been married for four years, and Steph was a stay-at-home wife. However, since their wedding, she had been extremely inconsistent in managing the house. Since the husband had a demanding job, he expected his wife to at least "cook dinner more than once or twice a week." Instead, Steph would sit at the dinner table, scrolling through her phone all day long. "I work a physically demanding job, and it would really help if Steph could at least cook dinner more than once or twice a week. Instead, she sits at the dinner table, hunched over her phone for hours a day. She's completely addicted to it, but she refuses to even have a conversation about this," the man wrote. 

Further, he explained the work situation that required him to travel about twice a year. Steph was also very appreciative of the nature of his work. Although the husband was not particularly happy with his wife's laziness in handling household chores, the situation seemed normal on the surface. It went awry when, once before a two-week-long trip, the man asked Steph to make him lunch.

"At around 10 am, I texted Steph and said that time was tight, but I'd be home at 12:30 to pick up my luggage. I asked her if she would make me something for lunch, and she agreed to do so. I emphasized that I had about ten minutes to stuff my face and then get to the airport," he added. 

An hour later, the man texted his wife again to remind her about lunch, but when he came home, he was utterly disappointed to see "her sitting at the dinner table, hunched over her phone." Steph was stunned to see her husband. As panic kicked in, she stood up and said she would make lunch. "I told her that it was pointless. She sheepishly apologized, and I responded, 'Don't say sorry. Just be less f*****g useless.' This made her very upset," the man revealed. Following that, he picked up his luggage and left for the airport. 

Once the husband returned from his work trip, Steph confronted him about their fight. The man then asked her what she had done in his absence, to which his wife replied that she was "super busy," which the man thought meant watching Instagram and Netflix.

"I gave her an ultimatum: that she had one month to get her shit together and be a proper homemaker. I told her that if she couldn't, I was going to divorce her," read the Reddit post. It made Steph upset, and she informed her family about the incident. According to the husband, his mother-in-law blamed him for "Steph's lack of direction in life."

The Reddit post received an overwhelming response as several people supported the man. u/convivialkat commented, "If you have no children and she is a stay-at-home wife, taking care of the household (including shopping and cooking) is her job. I don't blame you at all for not wanting to continue this way." u/coygobbler added, "Why can't she go back to work? Why does she have to stay home? I think it's fair to say if you're not going to do the duties of a stay-at-home wife then you need to work." u/laowei633018 wrote, "Threatening divorce might be ideal, at some point, you have to prioritize your well-being and the health of the relationship. You need a partner who pulls their weight."