Dear Queenie,
My wife and I have been married for several years and we have a baby son. I work, my wife is a stay-at-home mother.
I used to play sports several nights a week, but since the baby came I have cut it down to just once, but my wife still gets vexed when I do anything away from her and the baby except going to work. She used to come to my games, but not any more even though there are friends of hers who come to see them. She even doesn’t like it when my friends come to the house to see me if they stay more than a few minutes.
Queenie, is it wrong of me to want to play sports and see my friends?—Harassed husband
Dear Husband,
You should not become isolated from the rest of the world because you are married and a parent, and neither should your wife. Your wife may be jealous of your outside interests because she feels trapped at home taking care of the baby and you are her only adult companion.
If you could take care of the baby one or two nights a week while she takes a break and goes out to see friends and/or family, or even has them come to your house to see her, it might help a lot.
If you cannot agree on something like this, I recommend (as usual) professional counselling.
