Recently I heard about an increasing trend among newly married younger couples – the wife’s salary is larger than the husband’s salary.

Now, math has never been my strong point, but what I think that means is the wife is making more money than the husband.

My first thought was, and still is, “And how is this a problem, and for whom?”

Apparently this is a big problem for some.

There was an old ’60s TV sitcom called “Bewitched,” starring Elizabeth Montgomery. It was made into a 2005 movie starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell.

I did not see the movie, but I remember the TV show very well. The plot was simple: Darren and Samantha Stevens are a typical 1960s couple, with Darren as the bread-winning architect husband and Samantha as the beautiful homemaker. The only wrinkle is that Samantha has this unique ability to wiggle her nose and make anything happen and/or appear out of thin air. Darren tries to get her to stop using her abilities and be “normal.”

Here is a guy who has a wife that could get them anything they ever wanted and he was trying to get her to stop!

Even as a little kid in the ’60s I thought Darren Stevens was a big dummy.

Unfortunately, I see this happen in relationships all too often. The guy has gotten it into his head somehow that he is supposed to be the star of the relationship. Therefore, if his wife outshines him in any way, he wants to hold her back so he can be center stage.

A relationship is not supposed to be about competition. A relationship is supposed to be about mutual support and helping your partner be the best he or she can be.

I’m a single father and make a fairly decent income. But if I were married and my wife made more money than me, I’d celebrate and enjoy it, with her.

So my suggestion on how to handle the situation when the wife is making more money than the husband is simply to celebrate it and enjoy it.

If you are a man and are intimidated by the fact that your wife makes more money than you, get over it. Get your own ego out of the way and celebrate the gifts of your wife and the gift of your wife.

Jeff Herring, MS, LMFT, is a marriage and family therapist. E-mail him at [email protected] or, for more tips and tools for living, you can visit www.JeffHerringOnline.com.