I lost 8st and my man loves it
Sarah Dunkley, 32, gave up her teaching career in 2015 to become a Tradwife. She lives in kent with her husband Ben, also 32, a prison services manager, and their daughters eleanor, two, and Grace, five months. She says:
SINCE becoming a housewife I’ve worked really hard to make my husband happy — and my proudest achievement has been totally transforming my appearance.
Since handing over the reins to him, I’ve had time to go to the gym, eat properly and do my hair and make-up. In fact, I’ve lost more than 8 stone. Yes, I did it for me, but I adore how much Ben loves the new me. He often comments he’s got an entirely new wife at home.
What husband — or wife — wouldn’t want that? It was all so different when I worked 14- hours a day as a teacher. Overweight, exhausted and resentful, with barely any time for my husband, I longed to be a housewife and do things ‘properly’.
When we bought our house and decided to start a family, we both saw it as the right time for me to make the switch.
Two months before I became pregnant in 2015, I gave up my career and threw myself into being a homemaker. Although I briefly felt conflicted about the time I had spent on my education — ultimately it wasn’t a hard decision.
Plus, we’re incredibly fortunate that Ben earns enough so that we can sustain the lifestyle we want to. In return for Ben’s financial support, I feel a huge responsibility to keep a lovely home that’s a tidy and stress- free environment for him. He always greets me with a kiss, and I love hearing about his day. Both our mums were housewives who were responsible for domestic life and prided themselves on reducing stress for our fathers. I want that for my husband, too. Now, my days are spent being attentive to our daughters, playing with them and taking them to activities.
I ensure the house is clean and tidy, and my husband’s favourite foods — always homemade — are ready to eat when he gets home. Friends are perplexed that I’m a housewife. But I’m not downtrodden, this is my choice and it’s been the making of our family.
I benefit hugely, too. By getting all the chores done during the day, Ben and I can cuddle up on the sofa in the evening and talk and laugh — really enjoy each other like we used to in the early days of our relationship. If that’s old fashioned — well, it works for us.