Traditional marital models involve men working to support his family.

Contemporary financial realities include more women than men in the workforce.

A stay-at-home boyfriend is viewed differently than a working husband on paternity leave.

Working women cohabiting with unemployed boyfriends often leave for a working partner.

Many of us grew up in an era of commercials, ads, and stereotypes of men being the breadwinners and “bringing home the bacon.” Today, many women bring home the bacon, too. The surge of women in the workforce compared with men is a documented reality.[i] Some women have become the breadwinner within their own families, which is viewed as more acceptable than in generations past. This may be due to more opportunities in female-dominated professions, artificial intelligence replacing jobs, or decreased social stigma toward unemployed or between-jobs men.

Yet in contemporary times, a working woman’s role often extends beyond supporting a “house husband” who stays home temporarily to help raise children—often facilitated by formal paid paternity leave from a job. Many women support stay-at-home boyfriends—but perhaps not the long term.

The Boyfriend Bed and Breakfast Model

Many contemporary young people in romantic relationships choose not to cohabit until marriage, guided by the sentiments of family, friends, and their faith. But for women who choose to support an........

© Psychology Today