I know from taking a sabbatical. . .
Society has *huge* expectations about role. Just looking at the faces of both men and women when you mention that you (the male) are the stay at home parent and your wife is the income earner. My advice: Talk much more. For every negative emotion that your husband goes through, he needs to hear positive, supporting messages about YOUR feelings. Twice. It is easier to ignore all the stereotypes and stand alone when the woman you love is giving you the message that she is 100% behind what you are doing now. But if you *are not* 100% behind the way things are now, then you do indeed have a problem. Oh, and never express sympathetic or empathetic approval when someone else is implying those societal messages. It’s hard on a spouse if you tell them one thing, but agree with your friends when they are implying the direct opposite. Good Luck.
