Is Your Husband The "Boss"?

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  • gemco
    gemco Posts: 129
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    no! i don't have a boss, i have a partner.

    we're both atheists and we're not American. we're a pair of people who work together and compromise when needed.
  • futiledevices
    futiledevices Posts: 309 Member
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    Nope. Why should the husband be the "boss" - I mean, what makes him more capable of making good decisions? because he has a penis?

    I have a wife, not a husband.. and we discuss and debate and come up with things together.
  • VeganInTraining
    VeganInTraining Posts: 1,321 Member
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    Yes, And Yes I'm what you refer to as "the boss" but that's not technically how it is.
    We make mutual decisions together everything is done together. My wife, as the bible refers, is my "help mate". Even though I am the head, When at all possible she is a major part of the decision making process many times her wisdom/ideas/thought process is what makes the final decision. But in the end Its Me who has to pull the trigger on what ever decision is made. Being the "Head of the house" in a biblical sense is not about being in power or making all the decisions as final. Its more about me being responsible for my family and to God. When I make a final decision I'm making it and the consequences and the results fall on me not my wife and kids. I am the one the takes the heat for a bad decision. Its my responsibility to protect my family and that's why I am the sole responsible party. Even though my wife is my equal Its not her that anything will fall on should a decision be a bad one; Its me. And as Christ directs I am to protect her and the children from anything. Thats why the buck stops here!

    In addition, I dont require her to be submissive to me. Its not like I own her its more a of a business structure. Not everyone can be the president of the company. So she voluntarily puts her self underneath my protection and leadership.

    And most importantly...There is a section to this that you are leaving out. Biblically the wife should submit but no one ever brings up what the husbands responsibility is to his wife.... "He is to love her like Christ loved the church" And ultimately what that means is I am to love my wife to the point of death where I would give my own life to protect her and save her. Its a two way street and those two commands are together in the same thought.

    Looks like MassiveDelta described it how a lot of us do things. It has never come down to where my husband and I have had differing opinions about how things should go so in out whopping 6months of marriage it has never been and issue. If/when the time comes I will give him my opinion and reasoning and if still goes with his own plans and they are "wrong" i know he is going to be the one who needs to "fix" it and ultimately answer to God for it.

    MassiveDelta also mentioned the men's roll, after hearing a sermon my Mark Driscol (sp?) on the man's role, I was more than happy to "submit to my husband" as much as I hate the phrase. Loving someone as Christ loves the church which is with perfect patients, unconditionally and in every single situation is a lot harder than saying "ok, if that's what you want then that's how it will go.".....My husband still has to love me even when I'm saying 'I told you so!" (not that i would do that....maybe)
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    My DH is my partner. We defer to each other on many decisions and compromise on the biggies. It's important for us to both buy into the decisions made.

    Our biggest debates have to do with child rearing and chore distribution.
  • sarah_ep
    sarah_ep Posts: 580 Member
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    My boyfriend and I are Atheists, we do not have kids yet (though do plan on it in the future). I see our relationship as a partnership, as does he. The head of household responsibility is a principle found in many cultures and religions, perhaps even stronger than it is in Christianity. I contribute just as much as he does whether it is monetary, house duties, and emotional support. I do know, despite our partnership, my boyfriend does put upon himself the pressure to provide and protect myself and our puppy :). In this sense, I can see how he can be viewed or views himself as the head of the household, though we both hold veto power.

    I think it is a natural feeling, instinct.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    I have never, and could never tolerate any type of "master-submissive" roles between my spouse and myself. I have been much more strident about this than even both of the women I have been married to, to tell you the truth. This is one of those issues where I have to be careful about separating my personal feelings from another strong value of mine, which is respecting other people's beliefs and their rights to enter into any kind of partnership that they feel is best for them.
  • Cooriander
    Cooriander Posts: 2,848 Member
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    I am the boss. My husband thinks he is the boss.

    We are both working on compromising on issues - and I think we are doing well on that right now. :drinker:
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
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    Yes, And Yes I'm what you refer to as "the boss" but that's not technically how it is.
    We make mutual decisions together everything is done together. My wife, as the bible refers, is my "help mate". Even though I am the head, When at all possible she is a major part of the decision making process many times her wisdom/ideas/thought process is what makes the final decision. But in the end Its Me who has to pull the trigger on what ever decision is made. Being the "Head of the house" in a biblical sense is not about being in power or making all the decisions as final. Its more about me being responsible for my family and to God. When I make a final decision I'm making it and the consequences and the results fall on me not my wife and kids. I am the one the takes the heat for a bad decision. Its my responsibility to protect my family and that's why I am the sole responsible party. Even though my wife is my equal Its not her that anything will fall on should a decision be a bad one; Its me. And as Christ directs I am to protect her and the children from anything. Thats why the buck stops here!

    In addition, I dont require her to be submissive to me. Its not like I own her its more a of a business structure. Not everyone can be the president of the company. So she voluntarily puts her self underneath my protection and leadership.

    And most importantly...There is a section to this that you are leaving out. Biblically the wife should submit but no one ever brings up what the husbands responsibility is to his wife.... "He is to love her like Christ loved the church" And ultimately what that means is I am to love my wife to the point of death where I would give my own life to protect her and save her. Its a two way street and those two commands are together in the same thought.

    Looks like MassiveDelta described it how a lot of us do things. It has never come down to where my husband and I have had differing opinions about how things should go so in out whopping 6months of marriage it has never been and issue. If/when the time comes I will give him my opinion and reasoning and if still goes with his own plans and they are "wrong" i know he is going to be the one who needs to "fix" it and ultimately answer to God for it.

    MassiveDelta also mentioned the men's roll, after hearing a sermon my Mark Driscol (sp?) on the man's role, I was more than happy to "submit to my husband" as much as I hate the phrase. Loving someone as Christ loves the church which is with perfect patients, unconditionally and in every single situation is a lot harder than saying "ok, if that's what you want then that's how it will go.".....My husband still has to love me even when I'm saying 'I told you so!" (not that i would do that....maybe)

    I guess the one thing I would add is this...If I'm holding up my part "Loving my wife as Christ loved the church" Then Every decision that is made must ultimately be made with her welfare and benefit in mind. If I Love her then I never make a decision that would have a negative impact nor do I make decisions without consulting her and if I'm put in a position where I do have to make a decision without consulting her I make sure that I think through things carefully. If I make a selfish decision or a decision that may even seem selfish It would show her that I'm not acting in love. Once though I have proven to her that she can trust my decision making She also understands that the choices I make are in her best interest...even if its something she may not agree with on the surface. In contrast I have many times taken her decision after listening to her...Its always a discussion and a mutual decision.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    My partner and I are both atheist, no children.
    We have an equal relationship, if anything I am "the boss" as I tend to make most of the important decisions, but I'll always run them past him first to get his thoughts, and if he had problems with it we'd discuss it.

    I don't really like the idea of having one person make ALL the decisions and the other not having much say in the matter :/
  • BigDanTX
    BigDanTX Posts: 92 Member
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    Heck yes I am! Now go make me a sandwich!

    Ok but really...a marriage or relationship is not 50/50 it's more like 90/10 sometimes you're the 90 sometimes you're the 10 just don't keep score (thank you NPR). Now where is that sandwich at?
  • summalovaable
    summalovaable Posts: 287 Member
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    My boss always used to tell me that "he's the king in his relationship, but his wife is God"
  • thor1god1of1awesome
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    Last time I told my wife I was the boss I slept on the couch lol
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
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    There is a difference between being the head of the family and being the boss.
  • Regmama
    Regmama Posts: 399 Member
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    There is a difference between being the head of the family and being the boss.
    Exactly!!!
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
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    I wear the pants in my family. My wife picks them out for me, though.
  • killerqueen17
    killerqueen17 Posts: 536 Member
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    There is a difference between being the head of the family and being the boss.
    Exactly!!!

    Yeah I agree... I think "boss" has a lot of negative connotations, and doesn't really represent what it means to be the "head of the household."