I was working with a bęttīñg company before I had a baby. She is almost a year old but I don’t have anyone to watch her for me so I would return to work. The work scene is not particularly child-friendly so taking the child to work is out of the question. This is why I have been unemployed since the baby arrived.
I have two other kids, and that was what happened when I had them too. I had to stay away from work till they were independent enough to start school. Then I would find another job.
I have noticed that my husband changes toward me every time this happens. It’s as if he tries to punish me for getting pregnant. Despite knowing that I have no money, he would only give me money to cover household expenses and bills. When it comes to my personal needs, it doesn’t concern him.
So many times, I have asked him for money to take care of myself. “You know I am not working at the moment. So add something extra to the housekeeping money, so I can have something for myself.”
Each time he told me, “I can’t give you something I don’t have. What I give you is all I can afford.”
I thought he would change with time, but after five years and three children, he is still the same.
I know someone would ask why I kept having kids for him then. Well, I always tried to get family planning so we could pace our kids properly. Each time, he discouraged me.
“Let’s just track your safe and unsafe periods. It’s better than pumping your body full of chemicals,” he would say.
That’s how I found myself on baby number three. Well, I have decided not to put myself in this position again. I am currently on one of the birth control methods. This time around, I didn’t discuss it with him.
Since I can’t take my child to a confined workplace, I have decided to start a business but I know he won’t give me money for capital.
So, my plan is to start something that requires no capital at all. I want to go to people’s homes and do their laundry. I am hoping to save something out of that, then I can get capital to start something small.
The problem is my husband. He is not the kind of man who would be happy that I am providing laundry services for people.
I have considered not telling him about it. I would wait till he leaves for work, and then I would also go about my business. But the question is, how long will I do it before he finds out?
I want to know if it will be wrong of me to start anyway, without telling him. And the family planning I did, I still haven't told him. Am I a bad wife for keeping it a secret?
