A WOMAN is revealing the “harsh realities” of no longer being a tradwife after 24 years of marriage and says promoting the lifestyle is “more dangerous than cigarettes, p*rn or riding a motorcycle without a helmet.”
Jennie Gage has previously hit the headlines after urging younger women not to get caught up in the trend.
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Becoming independent has not been an easy ride.
Jennie, who was also a Mormon for over four decades, had to rebuild her entire life and was “barely scraping by” at times.
The mum-of-four would sit “crying in [her] car” because she couldn’t afford food and lived in a flat she could “barely afford” with her four children.
Despite the initial hardship, the now 50-year-old has no regrets.
“I can safely say, despite it all, it [leaving the tradwife lifestyle] was the best decision of my life,” Jennie told What’s The Jam.
“I’ve just celebrated my six-year anniversary since leaving the Mormon church and losing my marriage – and I’m finally starting to find a new normal.
“After 24 years of marriage and 44 years of Mormonism, it has taken a long time to recover from the loss of my faith and husband.
“It feels like it has taken so long to start to build a little life for myself after losing everything – but I’m slowly getting there.
“Though, it’s not been easy.
“Not long ago, I was crying in my car because I couldn’t afford groceries.
“We [also] had to move out of the home we were renting from a family member, which was a huge shock and financial burden.
“It was very sad.
“Instead, [my children and I] moved into a tiny apartment, which we can barely afford.”
Jennie, from Arizona, US, decided to leave her faith and marriage for good in October 2018.
Since then, she’s worked hard to achieve a life of security for herself and her family, including children [not named for privacy reasons] aged 28, 24, 21 and 15.
She used to run a furniture-flipping business but no longer has the space to do this so is “working hard to replace [her] income”.
The mum is determined to help other women.
She has set up a new business, called ‘Man Proof Your Life’, a programme dedicated to helping women avoid and recover from the tradwife life.
She said: “I am running support groups for women like me who have lost their traditional families through divorce.
What is a trad wife?
A trad wife (short for traditional wife) is a woman who chooses to take on an ultra traditional role in marriage, meaning she makes dinner and looks pretty whilst her husband goes to work.
The trend takes inspiration from the idea of a 1950s housewife.
Many ‘trad wives’ choose to dress in the style of clothing popular in this period (think floral dresses and frumpy cardigans).
Additionally, the values considered important to trad wives are similar to strict Christian values.
Trad wives believed they were not forced into this way of life, and that it was their purpose to be homemakers.
The trend, which has garnered attention on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, glamorises a time gone by with little acknowledgement of the economic challenges facing families and mothers today.
“I do everything I do because I didn’t have anywhere to turn when my marriage ended.
“I was all alone with nothing at all and I don’t want any other women to go through what I went through alone, too.
“This is the literal best thing I’ve ever done in my life and it doesn’t even feel real sometimes.
“It’s amazing to be able to help change the future of individual women, and to help my kids have a better life.
“Our current slogan is: ‘For Our Daughters’ as I am helping to shape a better future for our daughters.”
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Jennie, who is now an atheist, is also working on a documentary and book about her life, including tips and advice, in a bid to show the “true side” of being a trad wife.
And even though she’s happier than ever now, she’s still working through her past.
She added: “I lost all my family when I left the church.
“Yes, I’ve had massive obstacles to overcome, but here I am, waking up in an apartment with a bed to sleep in and food in the fridge.
“These trad wives online aren’t actually trad wives at all.
“We were taught to stay at home, while the men earned all the money.
“But these ones [the trad wives in the public eye and on social media] are earning quite a lot, which goes against the beliefs we’re taught.
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“They’re more dangerous than cigarettes, p*rn, or riding a motorcycle without a helmet.
“The lifestyle they’re promoting is potentially deadly and I hate them all.”
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