A TRADWIFE has shared a list of controversial ways she ensures she doesn’t disrespect her spouse.
Katelyn Smith has been married to her husband Marvin for 13 years, and the pair share five children, but critics on social media have called her “brainwashed” and said she is her husband’s “slave.”
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The 31-year-old, who describes herself as a traditional housewife and wife, says part of the reason her marriage works so well is her commitment not to act in ways she considers disrespectful.
On her list of 12 “no’s” are friendships with other men, complaints about his income, rolling her eyes at him, and refusing to “submit.”
But because of her views, Katelyn says she has faced backlash.
“Some people referred to me as my husband’s slave, [and] being brainwashed,” said Katelyn, who lives in Canada.
“People make assumptions that aren’t true.”
Katelyn and Marvin, 30, have been together for 16 years in total, having dated for three years before getting married.
The pair opt for a traditional setup, with Marvin acting as the breadwinner and Katelyn as the homemaker.
“For me, being a housewife means prioritizing managing the home,” she said.
“I believe it is the housewife’s responsibility to take care of preparing meals, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, decorating – whether done herself or by delegating tasks.
“Most importantly, a homemaker sets the tone and atmosphere of her home with her presence and whatever other ways she chooses.”
LADIES, RESPECT YOUR MAN
Katelyn began documenting her experience and advice about being a traditional wife on her Instagram and YouTube page, @gemsandpearlswithloveThree years ago.
In a recent series shared online, she documented 12 ways she thinks women may be “disrespecting” their husbands – and warned of the potential problems this could cause.
This includes not being rude to your husband, which includes scolding him, calling him names, rolling your eyes, other “rude facial expressions,” and making passive-aggressive jokes.
Katelyn also warns against speaking in “nasty tones and yelling,” giving the silent treatment, speaking negatively about her husband to others, and trying to “control or change him.”
Comparing your spouse to other men is also off limits, as is having “inappropriate relationships with men” – which includes even seemingly innocent ones.
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“Although my husband and I have casual acquaintances of the opposite sex, we have no real friendships with them,” she said.
“I see no point in having a friend who I call constantly and have long conversations with, like I would with a girlfriend.”
Katelyn also cites comparisons to other men as an act of disrespect, as well as “mothering” your spouse or allowing your friends or family to be disrespectful to him.
When an employee is asked by their manager to do something… they do it out of respect for the manager’s position in the workplace.
Katelyn Smith
She warns against complaining about your income or being disrespectful to your family, friends, hobbies and preferences.
Finally, Katelyn says it can be disrespectful to “refuse to submit” to your husband — which she compares to being an employee and manager.
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“When an employee is asked by their manager to do something, they don’t do it because they have less value or are lacking in some area.
“They do it out of respect for the manager’s position in the workplace, whether they feel they deserve it or not,” she said.
TEACHING A LESSON
“[With the series,] I hope to open other wives’ eyes to how they may be disrespecting and destroying their husbands without even realizing it.
“I’m sharing what I wish someone told me when I was early in my marriage, or better yet, before marriage.
“When my eyes were opened to my mistakes and I decided to start making a change, with God’s help, my marriage became so much better in more ways than I could have imagined.
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“It brought peace, joy and brightness to our marriage.
“I just want other women to have the best marriage possible and to do their part to make it happen.”
GOD’S GENDER ROLES
While it may not be the most popular choice in modern times, the Smiths stand by their choice to maintain traditional gender roles.
“A traditional wife is a wife who has traditional values,” she said.
“As a Christian, these values include valuing family over career, serving family out of love, [following] traditional gender roles.
“[That means] the man as the main provider, protector and leader, and the wife as the administrator and caretaker of the home.
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“A traditional wife understands the importance of respecting and submitting to her husband, which is ultimately submission to the God of the Bible.
“Traditional Christian wives also value children and see them as blessings rather than burdens that get in the way of something else.”
THE ROUTINE OF A TRADWIFE
Katelyn says a typical day includes Bible readings and prayer in the morning, followed by household chores, exercise, and preparation for the day.
She then prepares breakfast for the family and begins homeschooling her five children.
Then she can cook and go for a walk, before preparing lunch.
The afternoon involves cleaning the house and creating content for your social media pages.
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“Before my husband gets home, I ask the kids to help with another quick tidy up,” she said.
“I freshen up, maybe do a little makeup.
“What else I do depends on how my husband said his day went.
“Sometimes I light candles and play relaxing music.
“When he gets home from work we have dinner, clean up, talk and relax before bed.”
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Although the couple feels that following these more traditional gender roles works well for them, Katelyn has suffered “backlash” regarding her views.
“Usually it’s just people assuming things that aren’t true, like that I’m oppressed and so on,” she said.
NOT CARING ABOUT THE HATERS
Some comments Katelyn has received say that she underwent a “lobotomy”, accuse her of “attacking” women and making them appear inferior to men, accusing her of acting this way for her husband’s money and calling her “ intentional victim of controlling men.” .”
She also had a message for those who criticize her lifestyle as a traditional wife.
“If you say you believe women have the right to choose the path they want and that apparently that’s what feminism is about, then allow us to choose our path too,” she said.
“My goal is to make more women see that there is a different way to live life than what society tells us.
“We are equal to men, but we are different and there is nothing wrong with embracing those differences.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
