Women were expected to learn domestic skills and become a wife and a mother. It was the ideal situation for those couples that could manage it. What ever career a woman may choose, the hardest job she will ever do will be within the walls of her own home as a wife and a mother. No amount of income can compensate for the influence that a woman has in partnership with God, in molding the character of her children. But today, a mother's ability to be in the home full time is being challenged.
Most men can provide for their families without their wives working.
The trick is learning to live within a single income and being content with the lifestyle and monetary limitations that it brings. But not too many couples are willing to do that. Their needs, or that which they perceive are their needs, usually surpass their paycheck. And you can never predict the future. Things such as illness, an accident, layoffs, business failures, or even death can change your security in an instant.