Jen remembers my suggesting, "If you want an equal partnership, you should start now." 她今天还记得我当时的建议：“如果你想要一段平等的关系，现在就应该开始了。”

Jen and Andy discussed the opportunity and decided she should take the job because of the impact she could have. 霍勒伦和丈夫安迪讨论了这次工作机会。鉴于这份工作能让她发挥更大的潜力，两人决定抓住这次机会。

And who would pick up the slack? Andy would. 那么，家里由谁来替她的班呢？当然是安迪。

He rearranged his work so he could be home with the boys each morning and night, and even more when Jen travels. 他重新调整了自己的工作，这样每天早上和晚上，甚至在霍勒伦出差时他都可以在家照顾孩子。

He now pays all the bills and squeezes in grocery runs as much as she does. 他现在负责处理一切账单，和霍勒伦一样常常在超市里挤来挤去，

He cooks and cleans more, knows the details of the schedule, and is happy to be the number one, in-demand parent for half the week. 更多的时候是他负责做饭和打扫卫生。他知道家务的各种细节，也很乐意一周里有一半时间都坐在家长的“第一把交椅”上。

A year and a half into this new arrangement, 进入这种新关系一年半以后，

Andy told me that he loves his time alone with their boys and the increased role that he has in their lives. 安迪告诉我，他很喜欢在家陪孩子，也很高兴能在家庭生活中发挥日益重要的作用。

Jen loves her job and is glad that she and her husband now have a more equal marriage. 霍勒伦热爱自己的工作，比以前更平等的婚姻关系也让她很开心。

"My time is now as valuable as his," she told me. "As a result, we are happier." “现在，我的时间和他的一样宝贵。”她说，“结果就是，我们都变得更快乐了。”

Research supports Jen's observation that equality between partners leads to happier relationships. 研究证实了霍勒伦的观察：伴侣之间的平等关系会让双方更快乐。

When husbands do more housework, wives are less depressed, marital conflicts decrease, and satisfaction rises. 丈夫多做家务，妻子就不会那么抑郁，两人的冲突也会减少，对婚姻生活的满意度自然会提高。

When women work outside the home and share breadwinning duties, couples are more likely to stay together. 当女性在外工作，分担起养家糊口的责任时，夫妻关系也更稳固。

In fact, the risk of divorce reduces by about half when a wife earns half the income and a husband does half the housework. 事实上，当妻子贡献一半的家庭收入、丈夫分担一半的家务劳动时，离婚的风险概率也会降低一半。