Swedish (and Norwegian) Men…the World’s Best Husbands?
Swedish and Norwegian men may make the most attractive husbands as they’ll help with the housework. Hmmm, I’m sure you’re wondering if that’s true.
I got to thinking about this last year after reading an article in The Huffington Post.
In case you didn’t know, I lived in Sweden for a few years and was engaged to a Swedish man (don’t ask what happened…I’ll probably get to that in a future post! Hehehe).
Dating men from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, while observing how my girlfriends were treated by their Swedish husbands, really opened my eyes. I definitely have something to say about it! I’ll tell you my verdict a little later. First I’d like to share an excerpt from the article:
Economist Almudena Sevilla-Sanz from Oxford University set out to see if marriage and cohabiting rates in developed nations were linked to attitudes toward the roles of men and women and views on who is responsible for the housework and childcare.
Sevilla-Sanz, from the university’s Center for Time Use Research, found that women living in countries with the highest proportion of egalitarian men, who were happy to do their share of chores, were more likely to marry or live with a man.
“This study shows that in egalitarian countries there is less social stigma attached to men doing what was traditionally women’s work,” she said in a statement.
“This leads to men in egalitarian societies taking on more of a domestic role so the likelihood of forming a harmonious household becomes greater, resulting in a higher proportion of couples setting up households in these countries.”
The study was based on interviews with 13,500 men and women aged between 20 and 45 from 12 countries which were ranked according to an “egalitarian index” based on questions about gender, housework and children responsibilities.
Norway and Sweden topped the egalitarian index, with Britain in third place, followed by the United States, making their men the most attractive marriage partners for women.
Do I think they are the most attractive marriage partners for women? Yes and no.
What I liked most is that they offered to help out around the house. You never have to ask! They cook, clean and pick up take-a-way or groceries (even daily if you wish) on a regular basis. Although we didn’t live together, I spent A LOT of time with my fiance.
Check this out, not only did he respect and support me in my home-based business (something most women entrepreneurs dream of having, but never get), he would come back after a very loooong day’s work and say, “Honey, I don’t want you tiring yourself out. Let me cook dinner and wash the dishes tonight.” And boy could he cook! This went on for months. Was he faking it? No way! Trust me, no man can (or would even want to) hold up that facade for MONTHS and MONTHS on end!
Before you rush to buy your plane ticket to Stockholm, here are a few things to keep in mind. This is my opinion, but I always tell it like it is – rough and raw… That’s just me!
Quiet or Boring?
Generally, they can be extremely quiet — the strong silent type (which some foreign women may find boring). My Swede wasn’t like this, but most of my dates were. It drove me crazy!
Can you imagine having to pepper a guy with questions since he would not talk. It’s not like you were in a comfy relationship. I was thinking, “OK. So how in the world are we going to get to know each other?”
Can Equality Be Over-the-Top?
Many don’t know how to be “traditionally” chivalrous. I know this sounds like a contradiction since they love to help out around the house and are very active in taking care of the kids. However, when it comes to things like pulling your chair out, opening doors and other stuff like that, they just don’t know how.
It’s not their fault though, Swedish society and culture has become what I call “equal sex paranoid” that the roles of men and women seem to be trading places. Not good!
Let me give you a glimpse of how extreme things have gotten. A womens rights organization took a ice cream manufacturer to court. Why? Because they were marketing a pink star-shaped popsicle with colorful sprinkles. What was all the fuss about? The activists said the company was targeting girls! I won’t even comment further on that one…
Can A Man Be Too Honest?
Ask any woman out there her top 10 things she wants in a man and be sure that HONESTY is near the top! However, men can be too honest. Here is one of the craziest things I’ve heard on a date:
“I haven’t dated much since my divorce 3 years a go, so could you help me by telling me what I could do better?”
Yikes! I know I teach entrepreneurs and business owners to lead magnetic professional and personal lives, but to ask for advice on a date. To top that one, one man showed me the boutique his ex-wife bought her wedding gown from. I looked at him and said, “Did you REALLY need to share that with me?” He thought there was nothing strange about it. No boundaries whatsoever! No wonder he was single.
There were quite a few TMI (too much information) moments. It was all so entertaining though. Dates are supposed to be fun…or funny (when it’s not exactly a match)!
Don’t let these stories turn you off totally. Like I said, these are my experiences. I strongly believe in “equal opportunity dating”. Since we need extra special men who may not be around the corner or in our cities (or countries), women entrepreneurs should be open to dating outside their race and nationality, if they’re comfortable with it.
My Swede was one-of-a-kind as he didn’t have any of these annoying characteristics. Still itching to know why I didn’t marry him if he was all that great ? Like I said, I’ll probably share this in another post. It’s definitely a topic we all need to talk about more frequently. Meanwhile, if you want his contact information, just write me. Nah! Just kidding 
Now it’s your turn to BE HEARD! Do you agree or disagree? Share your comments below!
To your relationship success,
Rhonda
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