If you use TikTok, you've probably seen women wearing neutral-colored outfits, making the bed or making coffee for their boyfriend and a healthy juice for themselves. Maybe they're getting their nails done, showing off their skin care routine, going to pilates, or showing off their day while playing soft music in the background: "A day in my life as a stay-at-home girlfriend."
Searches such as “stay-at-home girlfriend” (37.3 million views), “life as a stay-at-home girlfriend” (37.8 million views), “stay at home GF” (36.2 million views), and “SAHG” ( 34 million views) are increasingly popular on TikTok. This trend has been addressed in recent articles in the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal, with the latter attributing it to a "Gen Z movement away from busy work culture and toward a more leisurely life." Some of the "SAHGs" describe their lifestyle in similar language: “People would ask me, 'What's your dream job?' I never knew the answer. I realized it's because I don't dream about work. I dream of living a quiet, feminine life and being a sexy housewife. It's that simple,” says influencer Kendel Kay (@kendelkay) in a video with 1.6 million views from September 2023.
@kendelkay i dream of feminine leisure???????
? Moon River (From Breakfast at Tiffany's) [Long Version] - Audrey Hepburn / Henry Mancini
But as some comments point out, the life of a "SAHG" is dangerous. "It's all well and good until he breaks up with you," someone writes.
"I can't imagine not working, I would feel very unfulfilled", says one commentator.
And other comments saying: "'feminine' girls can have an education and a career" and "So you dream of doing a man's work?".
And here comes the side of SAHG TikTok that you don't see — the post-breakup videos that warn you about the financial and emotional risks that come with this lifestyle. They may not be as inspiring (which may explain why they don't get many views), but they are just as true and important. And if you're going to give up financial independence to become a "SAHG," you should do so by preparing for what might happen if the relationship ends.
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