Cooking, cleaning, corralling the kids — it sounds like the to-do list of a modern-day Cinderella.
But, instead, that’s stay-at-home dad Kerry Johnson’s new daily routine. In September, the Utah father of six ditched a high-paying job — which forced him to work 60-hour weeks — to live the life of a “tradwife.”
And not only does the millennial former health care administrator of nearly two decades love his new role as “tradhusband” — he even credits the Mr. Mom-like move with saving his marriage.
“I take a lot of pride in being a homemaker,” Kerry, 39, told The Post. “I’m able to provide for my wife and kids in this new way — I get to ensure that they’re going out their door as their best selves.”
Going from being the breadwinners to bread-makers, husbands like Kerry are joining the likes of buzzy, busy traditional (or “trad”) wives such as Nara Smith, Gretchen Adler and Ballerina Farm’s Hannah Neeleman.
They’re the viral leaders of the make-it-from-scratch, greet-your-man-with-a-martini movement — the gals who’ve chosen to forgo the workforce to, instead, bring up their broods and cater to the kings of their castles.
A designation shrouded in controversy, the tradwife trend has been criticized for prioritizing the puritanical practices of mid-20th century America, when women were thought to be better off barefoot and pregnant — rather than bringing home the bacon.
But now, the kitchen tables are turning, per Pew Research data.
Analysts recently revealed that 23% of today’s married men are saying adios to the office, in order to care for homes and families — in true tradwife style.
It’s a domestic call that Kerry’s spouse, Sharon, dutifully answered for 14 years, owing to the family’s deep roots in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — a faith that promotes conventional gender roles in marriage.
But after recently walking away from Mormonism, the ex-tradwife now happily earns a living in health advocacy and content creation — while hubby tends to their abode and brood, ranging from ages 5 to 15.
“It’s great,” Sharon, 38, told The Post. “I’m keeping the lights on and food on the table.”
But that’s not all their gig-switch has been good for.
Sharon, who’s lauded Kerry as “kickass” for setting masculine pride aside to support her vocational aspirations, says the swap has also deepened their appreciation for one another.
“Before, we were both just fulfilling these roles that our [former religion] said made us a ‘good wife and mom,’ or a ‘real man and provider,” said Sharon. “We weren’t seeing each other as whole people in a lot of ways.”
“Now, we’re not trying to fit each other into those small, gendered boxes,” she added. “It’s really freeing.”
Matt Lundquist, a psychotherapist and founder of Tribeca Therapy in Lower Manhattan, confirms that balking at antiquated mores can positively impact married pairs.
“Breaking out of the constraints of the old way of doing things allows both parties to explore and celebrate different parts of themselves,” said Lundquist, a relationship expert of 20 years.
The topsy-turvy reversal often comes as a “gift” from one partner to the other, according to the counselor.
“If a husband’s career has been prioritized,” said Lundquist, “a couple might decide that it’s the wife’s turn to pursue her [professional] dreams while he stays home.”
It’s an arrangement that’s worked for Mika and Cameron Laidler. He officially abandoned his six-figure post in commercial construction for the homemaker’s hustle shortly after the pandemic.
“I used to work out of town, commuting a couple hours six days a week for 15 years,” said Cameron, 38, a father of five kids under age 5, from Sacramento, California. “But I didn’t want to keep missing milestones in my kids’ lives.”
Mika, who works in local government, told The Post becoming the sole provider is her way of thanking Cameron, her high school sweetheart, for his years of sacrifice.
“He financially supported me while I was in college,” said Mika, 37. “And now, I’m using my degree to earn a salary that our family relies on — so it’s like I’m paying him back for the investment he made in me.”
But giving up the daily grind is no cakewalk for Cameron, whose housework and kiddos keep him on his toes.
“I wake up around 4:00 a.m., exercise, get our oldest ready for prekindergarten, make breakfast, feed the kids before we play or do an activity,” said the devout doer, who often treats Mika to coffee in bed before she leaves for work.
“The rest of the day, I’ve usually got a kid in one hand while I’m vacuuming or doing laundry with the other,” he confessed.
And his ego isn’t easily bruised by mean-spirited nicknames like “house-mom” or “tradwife” — epithets often hurled his way via social media trolls.
Like a duster, he simply brushes off the shade.
“I love being a present parent and husband,” said Cameron. “I just want to do what’s right for my family.”
