Aussie mum-of-two who quit her job to become a stay-at-home 'tradwife' reveals what her new life is really like
Stacey Knight has built a loyal following on social media with videos of her in summer dresses making meat pies and finger buns from scratch in her idyllic kitchen.
Formerly a nurse, the 26-year-old gave up her job in 2023, swapping 'scrubs for spatulas and nappies', to raise her two young children.
'I got to a point where I was like, "Oh, I don't want to do this anymore",' she said about her job.
While pregnant with her eldest son, Dusty, she studied a postgraduate course in injectable and dermal science because she wanted to start her own business.
'I was really struggling with the thought of being a stay-at-home mum,' she told Daily Mail Australia.
However, after Dusty was born, her perspective shifted, and following six months of working just one day a week, she resigned.
Two years later, she said she 'absolutely does not' miss her old job.
Some of her content uses #tradwife, which is associated with women embracing traditional gendered roles at home and often associated with the archetype of 1950s housewives
'I much prefer to stay at home with my kids in these early years. I'd rather savour that moment,' she said.
Neither her husband, Tom, nor her friends cared about her decision to leave the workforce, she said.
'I have lots of friends that love going to work,' she said, adding that people just have 'different interests'.
'I think women are expected to get a full-time job, plus do all the stay-at-home, mum things – like meal prep and caring for the children – and never get much of a break.
'I think that expectation is unfair but obviously some people do not have the choice and have to go to work.'
Ms Knight chose to share her life on 'Staying home with Stacey' – a recipe website and set of social media channels inspired by her gardening and homemade meals.
Whether in a flowing, white skirt gesturing with a natural lollipop, or with a basket on her arm filled with vegetables from her garden, she is the picture of a 'traditional wife'.
The content is similar to that of other mothers in their 20s and 30s who have rushed to social media to create videos celebrating staying at home under the tag #tradwife.
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The term refers to women who perform traditional gendered roles serving their husbands and children, often likened to the archetypal 1950s 'housewife'.
#Tradwife has divided many Australians, most recently parents of Year 9 students in South Australia who were shocked when non-profit competition organiser Debating SA suggested the lifestyle as a topic.
'The "Trad Wife" movement is good for women,' the debate was titled.
Australian influencer Jasmine Dinis regularly shares Christian and political values alongside videos of her baking sourdough bread, infamously earning criticism online for her post in January:
'Woke up this morning. Baby on my hip. Making some fresh sourdough. My husband is hot. Trump is the president of the US. Life is good.'
Several videos on Ms Knight's TikTok are captioned 'Husband's lunch prep with a side of flu' or 'snack prep for my two kids' with the hashtag.
But, for the Queenslander, her content is not about selling a lifestyle – in fact, she has only ever had one sponsorship deal so far for which she was not paid.
'I'm doing it by choice, not because it's expected or because I don't have any other options. I genuinely enjoy it, and I chose this path myself,' she said.
A TikTok video by Ms Knight was captioned 'Trad wife hobbies without the oppression' and some videos, including those prepping her husband's lunch, included the hashtag.
Asked how she feels about the term 'tradwife', she emphasised that, for her, it is about freely embracing the things she loves.
'I don't believe it's about going backwards. I do it because I love it and have a genuine interest in homemaking, cooking and gardening,' she said.
'I think the 1950s version lacked choice and freedom. I'm sophisticated, I still have opinions and am very involved in everything our family does.
'If I didn't stay at home with the kids, someone would be paying for childcare. It is definitely still work.'
And what about 'serving' her husband?
Ms Knight explained Tom dislikes cooking, whereas she enjoys it and places a higher priority on health.
'I do it because my husband would happily eat a servo pie and I'd like him to stay healthy,' she said.
'He really would be happy with anything so I think I just care about his health maybe a little bit more than he does.'
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