Young marriage faces old problems

Dear Amy: I have been married for a year and a half. We got married super-quick without knowing each other well.

I am mostly happy. My husband treats me well and we have a baby on the way.

My complaint is that when we got married, he had a good-paying factory job that he had been at for three years.

Immediately after marriage he got fired not showing up).

Since then, he has had 5 different jobs! He has quit or has gotten fired from all of them.

I have had the same job for four years at a factory and make good money.

I try not to nag him and instead encourage him, but it doesn’t seem to help. I am getting fed up.

Do you have any advice for me? — Worried Wife

Dear Worried: The first thing you should do is to face the reality that you are very likely going to be the main financial mainstay for your family.

Unfortunately, the person who enters into marriage and parenthood by retreating and acting like an entitled child is establishing that he has no intention of being a partner. Your behavior has little impact on him.

If he proved capable of caring for a home and child, he might be a good candidate for being the primary at-home parent.

The qualities for being a good dad are remarkably similar to the qualities for being a good employee: Demonstrating the dedication to show up every single day; performing tasks that are boring, repetitive, and thankless; and having a boss (your baby) who might occasionally scream at you.

Your husband does not demonstrate any of these qualities.

The good news is that YOU sound like a solid, responsible person, and you will be a great role model for your child. our (for