Most of us like to be somebody’s priority, right? It may be your partner, relative or friend, but it’s a heartwarming feeling knowing that no matter what, somebody will always put you first. In relationships, we usually feel like we are each other’s priority and the most important people in one another’s lives. However, the moment a child comes into one’s life – well, that may change a lot of things. 

Well, a very similar situation was shared by one Reddit user asking if he was being a jerk indeed for telling his wife that his son will always come before her. The whole situation caused a heated argument and the husband was ‘awarded’ with the silent treatment.

More info: Reddit

Telling your husband he needs to think more about you and not his son may not really have a positive outcome

Image credits: Diva Plavalaguna (not the actual photo)

Man shares that his wife is concerned about their financial situation, but the concern is misplaced

Image credits: Alaur Rahman (not the actual photo)

His wife suggested they start charging his son rent once he turns 18, but that idea was shut down immediately 

Image credits: Kaysha (not the actual photo)

He suggested ideas such as no more eating out, but all of them were rejected and he was told that he needs to think more about his wife rather than his son

Image credits: u/Prestigious-Swim4924

This made him furious and he explained to his wife that his son will always come before her

Recently, a Reddit user shared his story to one of the harshest communities asking its members if he was being a jerk indeed for telling his wife that his son will always come before her when she insisted that he needs to think more of her and not his son. The post received a lot of attention and in 2 days it received almost 16K upvotes and more than 4.6K comments.

The author starts his story by sharing that his wife is concerned about their financial situation. He emphasized that there is no reason to be worried about it, but still asked what she wants to do about it. To his surprise, she suggested that when his son turns 18, he should start paying rent. As you can imagine, this idea was shut down immediately. 

As an alternative, OP suggested to stop eating out and various other ideas that she simply rejected. So he simply explained that he is open to her suggestions but his son is not going to be the source of income. To this, OP’s wife explained that he needs to think more of her than his son which, understandably, made the author mad and he simply told her that his son will always come before her. Well, he was called a jerk and received the silent treatment.

Redditors backed the author up and gave him the ‘Not the A-hole’ badge. Moreover, in the comments, OP added that his wife is not working. “Tell her to get a job and that will solve all your problems. I mean really, the woman would rather make money off your son than get a job?!” one user wrote. “She doesn’t want your kid there. That’s it. She wants to get rid of him and she figured he would leave voluntarily if you start charging rent,” another discussed.

Moreover, Bored Panda got in touch with Hayley Quinn, who is a dating coach. She kindly agreed to share her insights about ways partners can foster a sense of importance in the relationship, impact on relationships when children are prioritized and importance of values and priorities alignments.

Hayley shares that you won’t always agree with your partner as to what you have to prioritize, but despite misaligned views, it’s important to let the other person be heard. “Create time to sit down and discuss decisions. Aim to speak in a level tone of voice and take it in turns to share your perspective,” she shares.

Image credits: Alex Green (not the actual photo)

Also, the dating coach suggests that it’s important to avoid saying statements that could alienate a family member like ‘…is my priority.’ “Instead, recognize that each family relationship is important in its own right,” she notes. 

Now, speaking about how prioritizing kids over one’s spouse may impact overall health of a relationship, Hayley emphasizes that it’s easy to prioritize our children as we feel a duty of care as they will present to us with obvious physical or emotional needs that as parents we are attuned to fulfill. 

“Raising children also means there’s more practical constraints on the relationship: You have less disposable income and time to spend on one another,” she adds. “However, if we care for our children continually at the expense of our romantic relationships, that can create wider problems”

And finally, we asked Hayley to share how important it is for couples to align their values and priorities. “It may not sound very romantic but having a shared vision for how you prioritize all the different demands of family life and your finances will greatly impact the quality of your relationship,” she says. 

Additionally, the dating coach suggests creating a spreadsheet that shows all of your household income and outgoings so you can effectively create a financial plan. “Agree on one or two financial goals that you’re going to save towards that are important to each partner, and the family as a whole: Such as private school, holidays or a new sofa. It’s a given that there will have to be prioritization of your financial goals, and you won’t be able to achieve everything at once,” she adds.

So, guys, what do you think about this story? Was the husband being too harsh on his wife, or did the wife overstep by telling the husband she must be his priority? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Redditors had the author’s back and discussed the whole situation in the comments

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