Do You Want to Be a Tradwife? The Agony and Ecstasy of Total Dependency

On this episode of 'Other People's Parenting' hosted by mother daughter duo Karen Quinn (New York Times best selling author of The Ivy Chronicles , founder of Habit Coach and Testing Mom) and Schuyler Hurwitz (amateur parent) we wanted to discuss Trad Wives before we review New York Times bestseller, “Yesteryear” (coming next week) by Caro Claire Burke. Yesteryear is about Natalie Heller Mills, a mother of 5 who lives on Yesteryear Ranch in Idaho. She is a tradwife influencer with a huge social media following of people who love her and think she represents the ideal of American motherhood, and people who hate her, and think she’s everything that’s wrong with women today.What is a tradwife? She is someone who follows traditional values and traditional living. She avoids modern appliances, devotes herself to childrearing, homemaking, and self-sufficiency. She aims to live off the land, making clothing, baking bread and food from scratch. The tradwife is a popular Tik Tok trend now, led by social influencers such as Nara Smith and Hannah Neeleman of Ballerina Farms. These Tik Tok stars are in fact breadwinners and working women, which is the opposite of who they purport themselves to be. It appears that Natalie, the heroine of Yesteryear, is modeled after these real-life influencers.Ultimately, we cover an article about Belle Burden’s memoir “Strangers,” another New York Times bestseller, about a high-society stay-at-home mom whose marriage collapses after her husband’s affair. This book is an important discussion point in the tradwife movement because it exposes the dangers of turning financial control over to your partner, showing that even great wealth cannot protect a woman who checks out of understanding her family’s financial situation. This book serves as a stark financial warning for women ceding control to their husbands.Articles discussed include:My Day with the Trad Wife Queen and What it Taught Me The Woman Who Taught Me to Be a Tradwife – Over Bible Study, Donuts, and Group Tea, I learned the Rules of Submission My Goal With this Prenup is to Avoid What Happened to Belle – Women See Belle Burden’s Strangers as the New Marriage ManuelThe Unglamorous Truth About the Average Tradwife – Most Stay-at-home Wives Simply Can’t Afford Childcare In this episode, we delve into the complex phenomenon of tradwives and their implications in contemporary parenting dynamics.We explore the multifaceted lives of women like Hannah Neelman, who embody both traditional roles and entrepreneurial spirit.The discussion highlights the contradictions faced by tradwives, as they navigate societal expectations and personal aspirations.We emphasize the importance of financial literacy for women, especially those in traditional marriage roles, to ensure their independence and security.Links referenced in this episode:ballerinafarmlife.comhabitcoach.comtestingmom.comnewyorktimes.comthecut.comtheatlantic.comhulu.comCompanies mentioned in this episode:Habit CoachTesting MomBallerina FarmJetBlueTimes of LondonBravoThe McBeesTaylor SheridanNew York TimesThe AtlanticNew York MagazineThe CutBell Burden