Anonymous wrote:I think it makes a ton of sense. The women hitting menopause right now are squarely Gen X, raised in the Free to Be You and Me era and firmly expecting something "better" than what their parents had in terms of division of household labor.
But societal gender norms are strong, and this generation really isn't that much better (if at all) than their fathers when it comes to all of the tasks that keep a household running.
So, women are working FT and still carrying the bulk of the domestic load. No wonder they are burning out and deciding it would be better to be alone than remain in a marriage with a man who never really grew up.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It’s hard for everyone when Mom starts matching energy, which is what happens when all the reproductive hormones that were encouraging mom to build a home and ignore all the crap disappear. Men can get really resentful when they have to do stuff, and it’s coming at a time when most women just refuse to care anymore.
This describes my marriage (still married). I have good overall energy due to HRT, but I just don't care anymore. I'm done being everyone's caretaker and rock. I'm taking care of myself now, and if it results in the end of my marriage, fine, maybe even great. DH and I don't actually have much in common anymore, other than kids. I have some remaining bucket-list travel that would be more fun to do with friends or solo than with DH. My kids need to learn to take care of themselves before they leave for college. I suppose if my spouse were a great partner to me, I'd feel differently, but they're not, so whatever. He'd probably leave me or cheat on me if I got sick. That summarizes marriage in midlife - whatever. Take it or leave it.
Unfortunately, this. The statistics on men honoring their vows to stand by their wives in both sickness and health are pretty horrible. I’ve been having some tough conversations with myself if my DH is the kind of guy to stand by and support me when I’m physically unable to make his life seamless anymore, or if he going to ditch me, take half of what I worked for (I’m the higher earner by far), and look for someone else to take care of him.
And if he’s not going to stand by me, whether I want to continue to invest time and resources into this relationship or simply cut my losses and invest in myself and the friendships I don’t have time to nurture now.
Sad thing is he is a “good guy” and a great dad, he just can’t stand not being the center of attention for long. I’m generally healthy now and very few things completely take me out, but when it has happened a handful of times over 20 years his support evaporated pretty fast. Think, playing video games and eating junk food all night so he has a “migraine” and can’t take care of the kids, while I’m forced to power through kids and chores with a 104 fever. I can only imagine how he’d handle something more chronic and debilitating like cancer.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is man-hating, angry, bitter, drivel conjured by women with main character syndrom. Men do not exit to fulfill your emotional relationship needs. Good God.
You clearly don't like women and we don't like you. Where's the problem? Take your freedom and go.
We can’t just go can we?
While you sat at home, barely employed talking about how everything was dumped on you yet you left us to pay your bills for 27 years in a row? While you said you did everything you possibly could yet couldn’t bear to straighten up a tiny bit before the cleaning lady came?
When you said your work was the only thing he gave you fulfillment yet you only really did it for about eight hours a month?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is man-hating, angry, bitter, drivel conjured by women with main character syndrom. Men do not exit to fulfill your emotional relationship needs. Good God.
You clearly don't like women and we don't like you. Where's the problem? Take your freedom and go.
Anonymous wrote:This is man-hating, angry, bitter, drivel conjured by women with main character syndrom. Men do not exit to fulfill your emotional relationship needs. Good God.
Anonymous wrote:This is man-hating, angry, bitter, drivel conjured by women with main character syndrom. Men do not exit to fulfill your emotional relationship needs. Good God.
Anonymous wrote:This is man-hating, angry, bitter, drivel conjured by women with main character syndrom. Men do not exit to fulfill your emotional relationship needs. Good God.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Most Gen Xers are not empty nesters. I'm 50 and have a 17 and 14 yo at home, and a college kid.
You're among the youngest GenXers. MOST of us are empty nesters. You're an outlier.
I'm 54 and I have a 23 yo and a 21 yo. The 23 yo is launched. The 21 yo is a junior at VT. I'm an empty nester.
Just because you were a grannymommy doesn't make you typical.
NP. This was a completely obnoxious comment, but I did get a laugh at PP’s need to let us know that her child is at VT.
Back on topic, someone upthread said that all women want at this stage of life is peace and quiet. That is certainly very true for me most days, and I’m definitely dropping more ropes every year.
My DH is great, but he does tend to put the burden of thinking on me a lot of times. It used to drive me particularly crazy that, 100% of the time, he would ask me how long to microwave a thing for, even though he microwaved lunches and snacks for himself throughout childhood and I got my first microwave in my 20s. I have let go of the resentment and now amuse myself and our teen by giving him whatever number strikes my fancy that day. “Try 47 seconds, or a minute 10. Let me know how it turns out!”
Anonymous wrote:This is common knowledge - that's why they call it MENopause. It's when we have to hit pause with the MEN. It's biological.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why can't we just live in separate houses?
You can but men are needy who will do all the things.
Anonymous wrote:This is common knowledge - that's why they call it MENopause. It's when we have to hit pause with the MEN. It's biological.