I’ve been married for more than 20 years, and in that time, my wife has become a pretty strict mother.
We have two children and she is definitely a “tiger mother” when it comes to raising them and making sure they do well in school, stay out of trouble and generally just stay on the right path.
But the strange thing is, I think she’s even tougher on me than she is on them.
I joke that my wife is like an actual tiger because she has sharp claws and an even sharper tongue when she wants to get her way. She’s very assertive and is not afraid to express her opinion, no matter what it is. She often says things like “I expect you home by eight o’clock” or “We have to have dinner together tonight, no excuses”.
At first, I found her strictness kind of funny.
But now, I find myself rushing home from work every day, just to make sure I get home in time to meet her expectations. I know that if I don’t, there will be hell to pay. I’ve seen her unleash her “tiger” side on our kids and even our dog, and I’m pretty sure I don’t want to be on the receiving end of that.
It’s not that I don’t appreciate my wife’s efforts to keep our family in line. I do. And I understand that she is trying to do what she thinks is best for us. But I also think it’s important to give everyone in the family some breathing room. I don’t think anyone should be micromanaged like that.
I often joke that I need to be home by 8 p.m. every day because my wife is a worse than a “tiger mother,” but it’s not really a joke.
I feel like I’m constantly walking on eggshells around her, because I never know when she’s going to pounce. But I also know that she is only trying to do what she thinks is right, and I have to respect that.
At the end of the day, I love my wife and our family. I do what I can to make sure we all stay on the right path. But I also think it’s important to give everyone in the family some space and freedom to make their own decisions. That’s why I always make sure I’m home by 8 p.m. – because my wife is a worse than a “tiger mother” and I don’t want to get on her bad side.