It’s not always easy for families to make the transition when the wife moves into the breadwinner role or returns to the work force after time at home. Here are some tips offered by Margo Parsow, director of career and community services for YWCA Omaha, and Kerry Beldin, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
>> Talk about how you can adjust child care and home responsibilities before making the transition. “A lot of times families wait and see how it’s going to go, and there’s resentment that the other person isn’t doing the things they think they should be doing,’’ Beldin said.
>> Talk about what responsibilities can be transferred and which can be shared in a way both spouses feel is fair.
>> A woman should pay attention to how her husband is feeling about a job loss or no longer being the primary provider, a nontraditional status some men find difficult to accept.
>> No matter how roles are shuffled, make time to take care of yourself and to have fun as a family. “It’s that time together that’s so important,’’ Parsow said.
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