Talk Over Career Decisions with Spouse

My wife has been offered a new job that I feel uncomfortable with.  The new job would require her to do overnight travel 3 or 4 days every week.  She thinks I'm against her taking the job because I'm jealous and I want to hold her back. But that's not true.  I don't like the new job because we have a 2 year old son and a 5 year old daughter and I don't think I can handle them alone.  Please help us settle this argument before it wrecks our marriage and I lose my wife and my children.               Distressed Husband

Dear Distressed Husband, 

​If a formal survey were done, I am pretty sure that quite a few husbands would feel the way you do. I know if I were in your situation, I would probably feel very uncomfortable trying to handle my children without daily input from my wife. But some psychologist, and the rhetoric that various women’s organizations espouse has inspired scores of women to place their career goals above the needs of their family.  Some marriages have actually ended up in divorce court because the husband wanted his wife to "help him" by being home with the children while he worked to provide for the family. I'm not saying that a woman needs to ask for her husband's permission to pursue career success.  I definitely don’t believe a man or woman should compromise their goals to appease others. But what I am advocating is the idea that husbands and wives should be willing to discuss their career interests, especially career changes, with one another before making any decisions that could have an adverse affect on the family.
Verse to Remember:
(Gen 2:18 KJV)  And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
(Amos 3:3 KJV)  Can two walk together, except they be agreed?​

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Dr. David Stephens has authored 8 books on love and marriage. Since 1994 he has conducted relationship seminars and served as a coach to couples & singles who desire marriage success. In 2016, he launched the Marriage Success Podcast. He has been happily married to his wife, Angela, since 1988.