By The Editorial Board
Among trends like subtle foreshadowing and “direct from Domingo” circulating social media, traditional wives, also known as “trad” wives, are making a comeback into the list of things that people are going crazy about.
You’ve probably seen them: the videos of Nara Smith making literally everything you could possibly think of — from pastries to homemade sunscreen — straight from her kitchen. Or, perhaps you follow along with Hannah Neeleman’s Ballerina Farm account, which shows her raising eight children as a homesteader and housewife. These two stand-out “trad” wives who have put their lives on display through platforms like Instagram and TikTok have created a new wave of “trad” wife culture.
The purpose of this editorial is not to put down the lives of “trad” wives. Modern feminism certainly does advocate for a woman to choose what kind of life she wants to live, whether that’s to be a stay-at-home mom or someone with a full-time career. For instance, Ms. Ballerina Farm herself was a Julliard ballerina who could have become a dancer at a major company before she met her husband and started a family.
But “trad” wives and working women seem to be pitted against each other. What becomes an issue is when this new idea of a “trad” wife causes women who have careers to seem inferior for allowing their children to watch television and packing them Lunchables instead of homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch.
These “trad” wives seen on social media are the exception, not the expectation. Their whole lives are based around being moms — of course, they are going to be able to dedicate all their time to raising their kids exactly how they want. The truth is this lifestyle will likely never be a reality for most young women who want a family someday. So, why is social media normalizing this lifestyle?
Women aren’t uniting on the same fronts they used to. Anyone who is a mother, employed or not, should know how hard it is to provide their kids with healthy, homemade foods, the most enriching entertainment and other time-consuming parenting methods that require special attention. Homemaking, entertaining and cooking are things that don’t come naturally to all mothers, and that’s OK.
With college relationships often leading to engagement and marriage, many female students at Baylor are likely on track to become young wives and even mothers. While the nurture that Smith and Neeleman can provide for their families is certainly something to aspire to and admire, that can be intimidating, and it certainly does not define what it means to be a good mother.
If your kids someday grow up eating Lucky Charms for breakfast and watching cartoons after school, that does not make you a bad mom. As long as they are loved, we can assure you your kids will turn out just fine.
