Bad news for ‘tradwives’: Mothers who believe that men should hold the power in the family are less responsive parents, study finds

Over the past few years, an unusual parenting trend has emerged across Britain – the ‘trade wife’ movement.

This trend sees women returning to the traditional roles of housewives, which were practiced in the 1950s and 1960s.

Men are seen as having the power in the relationship, and business wives are encouraged to submit to their partners.

But a new study will be bad news for people who follow the trade.

Researchers from the University of Auckland have revealed that mothers and fathers who believe men should have power are less responsive fathers.

A new study will be bad news for people who follow the trade. Researchers from the University of Auckland reveal that mothers and fathers who believe men should have power are less responsive fathers (stock image)

The trend of trade dates back to Britain in the 1950s, and is already well established in the United States.

The belief behind the movement is that wives should not work.

Rather, they should spend their days cooking, cleaning, dressing modestly and femininely, and practicing traditional etiquette.

They must also submit to their husbands and always put him first.

However, skeptics believe this trend is an example of “hostile sexism.”

This is characterized by the belief that men should possess power and authority in society.

In their new study, the team set out to understand the relationship between hostile sexism and parenting attitudes and behaviors.

95 sets of parents were surveyed about their parenting styles, before researchers observed them playing with their five-year-old.

The results revealed this Parents with higher levels of hostile sexism reported less warm and more controlling parenting attitudes.

The team hopes the findings will encourage families to address and challenge hostile attitudes about power dynamics within families (stock image)

Observations also showed that both mothers and fathers with higher hostile sexism showed less “responsive parenting.”

Responsive parenting refers to family interactions in which parents recognize their children’s emotional and physical needs and respond appropriately and consistently, according to National Center for Physicians.

While the reason for this association is still unclear, researchers have several theories.

“Accepting fathers’ authority may mean that mothers higher in hostile sexism follow fathers’ lead in directing family interactions, producing less involved and child-focused parenting,” said Dr. Nicola Overall, lead author of the study.

“Another possibility is that mothers higher in hostile sexism guard their role as caregivers by restricting fathers’ parental involvement, which detracts from responsiveness to their children.”

The team hopes the findings will encourage families to address and challenge hostile attitudes about power dynamics within families.

Dr Overall said: “Gender inequality and child well-being are persistent global challenges, and sexist beliefs about the types of roles appropriate for men and women contribute to gender inequality.”

“The current findings confirm that the harmful effects of sexist attitudes also involve poor parenting, which has important long-term consequences for children’s well-being and development.”