History Main / ParentingTheHusband

* Lilly and Keith in ''VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition.'' Lilly often refers to Keith as her third son, and notes how some of his childish ways can be troublesome to deal with. However, she explains that her husband's sense of childlike joy and fun is actually [[HappilyMarried part of what she loves most about him, and Keith, likewise, is very appreciative of the way she keeps him on the right track.]] They're also NotSoDifferent, since Lilly is mischievous and fun-loving beneath her motherly exterior, and Keith is a business owner and devoted family man.

* Unmarried example in ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'' with Sonic and Sally. Though often depicted as [[NotSoDifferent rivaling egos]], Sonic is usually far more childish and arrogant than Sally, who often needs to guide Sonic so he doesn't endanger himself, and at times [[NiceJobBreakingItHero the entire team by extension]] with his recklessness.

* ''LightNovel/AscendanceOfABookworm'': One of aspects of the KingIncognito involving ManChild Sylvester is that he turns out to be a married father of three under his real identity. Unsurprisingly, his wife is an "older sister" type and is stated to be one of the few people who can control him.

* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' has Lily and Marshall. There's even one scene where Ted and Marshall are standing in front of Lily with their heads bowed like little children getting punished and saying "Sorry, [[strike:Mom]] Lily" together.
** This one goes back and forth and around, though, as Lily is often shown to be immature and occasionally infantile as well as the others. Taken to an extreme in one particular episode where Lily is convinced that Marshall is ready to raise a child because he was able to take care of her when she was drunk and acting like a child. The same episode was also one of many to point out that Ted is basically already a dad without kids (or a wife, for that matter).
** It even expands to include Ted in an episode where he briefly moves in with Robin and Marshall and Lily realizes he owned all the useful stuff like towels and he bought all the food.

A rather awful DoubleStandard; the notion of a girlish wife in need of control and protection by a fatherly husband [[DeadHorseTrope rarely appears today and]] [[ValuesDissonance is largely perceived]] [[MostWritersAreMale as overtly sexist]] (and similarly, the HenpeckedHusband scenario is considered nowadays to be a big TakeThat against the sole idea of a woman pulling the weight on the family-- see the description above) but this one persists. There is offense given to both sides-- men are told that they're useless and incompetent, at least in the realm of family life, and should really just let their wives take charge; women are told that they [[MenAreChildish can't expect their husbands to act like grownups]] and should just resign themselves to having to carry their husband's weight responsibility-wise and being regarded as the [[WetBlanketWife boring killjoy of the family for it]].

* Unmarried example in ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'' with Sonic and Sally. Though often depicted as [[NotSoDifferent rivaling egos]], Sonic is usually far more childish and arrogant than Sally, who often needs to guide Sonic so he doesn't endanger himself, and at times [[NiceJobBreakingItHero the entire team by extension]] with his recklessness. This chemistry is mostly kept in the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehog comic adaptation]].

%%* ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'': Helen often has to do this to Jake.

* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'': While Suzie works hard taking care of the household chores and being the sole source of income, Oskar is lazy, gambles often, and whines for Suzie to make him a sandwich.

* Unmarried example in ''WesternAnimation/WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'' with Sonic and Sally. Though often depicted as [[NotSoDifferent rivaling egos]], Sonic is usually far more childish and arrogant than Sally, who often needs to guide Sonic so he doesn't endanger himself, and at times [[NiceJobBreakingItHero the entire team by extension]] with his recklessness. This chemistry is mostly kept in the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehog comic adaptation]].

* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'': MAJOR inversion with Hank and Peggy Hill. Peggy's [[SmallNameBigEgo huge ego]] makes her act ridiculously childish to the point of sometimes acting like her pre-teen son when she doesn't get her way, forcing Hank to clean up the inevitable mess.
* Unmarried example in ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'' with Sonic and Sally. Though often depicted as [[NotSoDifferent rivaling egos]], Sonic is usually far more childish and arrogant than Sally, who often needs to guide Sonic so he doesn't endanger himself (and at times [[NiceJobBreakingItHero the entire team by extention]]) with his recklessness. This chemistry is mostly kept in the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehog comic adaptation]].
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'': Helen often has to do this to Jake.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': Randy Marsh is very much the sort of irresponsible ManChild who needs this... but half the time wife Sharon doesn't bother anymore. More often, it's son Stan who gets sucked into the role of StraightMan to his dad's Crazy Scheme of the Week.
* Oskar and Suzie Kokoshka from ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' While Suzie works hard taking care of the household chores and being the sole source of income, Oskar is lazy, gambles often, and whines for Suzie to make him a sandwich.

[[folder: Real Life]]
* There are [[https://www.verywellmind.com/parenting-your-spouse-is-not-okay-2302899 multiple]] [[https://www.scarymommy.com/refuse-to-parent-my-spouse/ articles]] [[https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/lifestyle/gender/why-it-is-a-woman-s-job-to-babysit-a-husband-20191122-p53d59.html about]] this mentality and why it is not a good thing.
[[/folder]]

* Oskar and Suzie Kokoshka from ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold''. While Suzie works hard taking care of the household chores and being the sole source of income. Oskar is lazy, gambles often, and whines for Suzie to make him a sandwich.

A rather awful DoubleStandard; the notion of a girlish wife in need of control and protection by a fatherly husband [[DeadHorseTrope rarely appears today and]] [[ValuesDissonance is largely perceived]] [[MostWritersAreMale as overtly sexist]] (and similarly, the HenpeckedHusband scenario is considered nowadays to be a big TakeThat against the sole idea of a woman pulling the weight on the family-- see the description above) but this one persists. There is offense given to both sides-- men are told that they're useless and incompetent, at least in the realm of family life, and should really just let their wives take charge; women are told that they [[MenAreChildish can't expect their husbands to act like grownups]] and should just resign themselves to having to carry their husband's weight responsibility-wise and being regarded as the boring killjoy of the family for it.

* A gender-reversed version of this occurs in Charles Dickens' ''Literature/DavidCopperfield'', in which David's first wife is childlike and asks him to think of her as his "child-wife."

** They Get Better. Actually end up being the most healthy couple on screen.
*** Until season 6.

* There are [[https://www.verywellmind.com/parenting-your-spouse-is-not-okay-2302899 multiple]] [[https://www.scarymommy.com/refuse-to-parent-my-spouse/ articles]] about this mentality and why it is not a good thing.

* Subverted with Amir and Karluk in ''Manga/ABridesStory''. Amir thinks this is the case with her [[AgeGapRomance 12-year-old husband]] Karluk, and is initially fine with it. Karluk, however, grows weary of it pretty quickly and makes it very clear that she doesn't have to babysit. Not only does it make her back off, but has the side effect of making her fall [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage head over heels in love with him]].

[[Folder: Real Life]]

* Played with to a lesser degree between Arthur and Guinevere on ''Series/{{Merlin}}'', in which the maternal and wise Guinevere often calms or cares for her temperamental husband. Sometimes Merlin got in on the act, and there's a scene between him and Guinevere in season five where Gwen pretty much hands responsibility of Arthur over to Merlin for the day.

* Wilma and Fred from ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones''.

* Un married example in ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'' with Sonic and Sally. Though often depicted as [[NotSoDifferent rivaling egos]], Sonic is usually far more childish and arrogant than Sally, who often needs to guide Sonic so he doesn't endanger himself (and at times [[NiceJobBreakingItHero the entire team by extention]]) with his recklessness. This chemistry is mostly kept in the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehog comic adaptation]].

* Queen Anne in ''TheMusketeers'' has fallen into this role with her ManChild husband King Louis.

* Wanda in ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'' is often this to Cosmo, who even still wears diapers.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': Randy Marsh is very much the sort of irresponsible ManChild who needs this... but half the time wife Sharon doesn't bother any more. More often, it's son Stan who gets sucked into the role of StraightMan to his dad's Crazy Scheme of the Week.
* Oskar and Suzie Kokoshka from ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold''. While Suzie works hard taking care of the household chores and being the sole source income. Oskar is lazy, gambles often, and whines for Suzie to make him a sandwich.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}''. In [[TheFilmOfTheSeries the movie]], Stu is having trouble getting baby Dil settled down. While telling Didi how frustrated he is, he himself starts wailing out loud. Didi says, "Oh, for Pete's sake, Stu," and puts a binky in his mouth.

* Wilma and Fred from ''TheFlintstones''.

[[IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] WifeHusbandry, which is when an adult raises a child with the intent of eventually marrying them.

Sometimes, though, the husband is perfectly angelic or a hard worker, or a mixture of the two, and the wife is simply motherly with no shallow motives, with him being most of all a BumblingDad with a penchant for causing [[HilarityEnsues wacky hijinks]] that she must resolve, this being part of a CloserToEarth setup.

A rather awful DoubleStandard; the notion of a girlish wife in need of control and protection by a fatherly husband [[DeadHorseTrope rarely appears today and]] [[ValuesDissonance is largely perceived]] [[MostWritersAreMale as overtly sexist]] (and similarly, the HenpeckedHusband scenario is considered nowadays to be a big TakeThat against the sole idea of a woman pulling the weight on the family-- see the description above) but this one persists. There are UnfortunateImplications on both sides-- men are told that they're useless and incompetent, at least in the realm of family life, and should really just let their wives take charge; women are told that they [[MenAreChildish can't expect their husbands to act like grownups]] and should just resign themselves to having to carry their husband's weight responsibility-wise and being regarded as the boring killjoy of the family for it.

* Most modern sitcoms. (50 or 60 years ago, however, you were more likely to see the reverse.)