'I was a trad wife - it's more dangerous than cigarettes or riding motorcycle with no helmet'

A former has shared the reality of what life was like - and said she would never go back to her old lifestyle despite losing 'everything'.

Jennie Gage shared the "harsh realities" of what came with being a and said the women promoting that lifestyle online are "more dangerous than cigarettes, p*rn or riding a motorcycle without a helmet". A trad wife usually follows 'traditional' values as a wife, being a and 'serving' her husband. They don't work, and instead will cook, clean and look after their children. However Jennie urged women not to get caught up in the 'trend' that has surged in popularity online, and as someone who was in it, she said becoming independent has not been an "easy ride".

Now an Atheist, Jennie has revealed she's working on a documentary and book about her life, including tips and advice, in a bid to show the "true side" of being a trad wife. And even though she's now happier than ever she's still working through her past. "I lost all my family when I left the church. Yes, I've had massive obstacles to overcome, but here I am, waking up in an apartment with a bed to sleep in and food in the fridge. These trad wives online aren’t actually trad wives at all. We were taught to stay at home, while the men earned all the money."

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She claimed the trad wives we see online are earning 'quite a lot' and it's something Jennie said goes against the beliefs they're taught as trad wives and confessed: "They're more dangerous than cigarettes, p*rn, or riding a motorcycle without a helmet. The lifestyle they're promoting is potentially deadly and I hate them all."

Jennie, who was also a Mormon decided to rebuild her life, and although it left her "barely scraping by" at times, she has no regrets over leaving her past life behind. She revealed how she would sit "crying in [her] car" because she couldn't afford food and lived in a flat she could "barely afford" with her four children. "I can safely say, despite it all, it [leaving the trad wife lifestyle] was the best decision of my life," Jennie said, and added: "I've just celebrated my six year anniversary since leaving the Mormon church and losing my marriage – and I’m finally starting to find a new normal.

"After 24 years of marriage and 44 years of Mormonism, it has taken a long time to recover from the loss of my faith and husband. It feels like it has taken so long to start to build a little life for myself after losing everything – but I'm slowly getting there. Though, it's not been easy. Not long ago, I was crying in my car because I couldn't afford groceries. We [also] had to move out of the home we were renting from a family member, which was a huge shock and financial burden."

Jennie from Arizona, US, decided to walk away from her faith and marriage in 2018, and since then she's worked incredibly hard to gain security for her and her children, now aged 28, 24, 21 and 15. She used to run a furniture-flipping business but no longer has the space to do this so is "working hard to replace [her] income".

She is also hoping to help other women, and has set up a brand new business called 'Man Proof Your Life' which is a programme dedicated to helping women avoid and recover from the trad wife life. She said: "I am running support groups for women like me who have lost their traditional families through divorce."

The idea came from her own experiences, when she didn't have anywhere to turn when her marriage ended. She explained: "I was all alone with nothing at all and I don't want any other women to go through what I went through alone, too. This is the literal best thing I’ve ever done in my life and it doesn’t even feel real sometimes. "It's amazing to be able to help change the future of individual women, and to help my kids have a better life. Our current slogan is: 'For Our Daughters' as I am helping to shape a better future for our daughters."

Do you have a story to share? Email niamh.kirk@reachplc.com

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