Ramana suggested this weeks topic.
How are domestic chores divided up in your household? Traditionally there are chores that typically are handled by men and others by women. Men tend to be the fixers and yard workers, women handle cooking and cleaning. That's how the division worked in my home when I was a kid. My mom was a branch manager of a Savings and Loan company and always worked. My dad was a retail manager. As the oldest of three kids, by ten years, I was the chief assistant. I did dishes daily, mowed the lawn weekly.
In Lynn and my household Lynn was not a good cook so I handled that. She cleaned (did dishes). Lynn was a fixer in the house - me outside. I did yard work, she hung wallpaper and fixed things that needed fixing. When we did minor renovations we did them together. We painted a house both inside and out - along with the assistance and direction of my step dad - definitely a qualified DIYer. Infinitely more qualified than Lynn or I (he was a carpet layer and hotel engineer by trade).
My point in all this is simple. The only rule that is important in dealing with domestic chores is that as long as the work is evenly divided, who does what is largely irrelevant. Whatever works for your situation is what you should go with. When we lived in Connecticut and Lynn spent a lot of time on the road I handled most of the chores. We lived in a condo so there was no yard work When I managed RadioShack stores and worked six days per week Lynn did more. It never mattered to me who did what and Lynn often said I was the least chauvinistic person she had ever known.
Running a household is a partnership and the division of duties should be whatever works best for the partners in the endeavor. When I first moved to NC it all fell on me. Now, with three teenagers under the roof my percentage of the chores have been severely reduced save one. I still pay for everything. LOL.
As a now-disabled person, my wife and I have reassessed and reassigned chore duties. I do the dishes as it helps me to remember where everything is and what the utensils are for. But I can't handle fragile things. She does all the wash (after I washed a dry-clean-only item of her's, very expensive....) - I am not allowed near it. We both make the meals (she makes the meals, I set the table). I do all the dishes and clean the kitchen. I gave all my tools to both my sons and do no yardwork; we hire it done every 2 weeks, and whatever else needs to be done inside and outside as my dominant hand is my stroke-side hand and can't even drive a nail.
ReplyDeleteBee there, done that Pops.
DeleteAs long as both husband and wife are fit division of labour works. If one gets disabled, the other has to carry the load. Both of us have experienced this.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely.
DeleteChores? As kids we had household jobs to do...I still love cleaning windows, providing I can reach, polishing furniture and shoes.
ReplyDeleteI wish that I were allowed to to help with other jobs around the house but I never "do it the right way"....
Herself is in Wales at the moment so I'm taking pleasure in poodling around cleaning and sweeping and doing the washing and the like. I'll bet I won't have done it properly... :-)
LOL - I remember some laundry detergent issues with Lynn - I never bought the right stuff. We eventually worked it all out.
DeleteI have always had chores since childhood, some of these chores like cutting, carting & stacking firewood & carrying firewood to the house are not easy in my old age, but I am glad I can still do them. I think I would soon become immobile if I were to stop doing my chores.
ReplyDeleteRegards, Keith.
Ha ha ha... I was living in Aug when I checked title for this months blog! I wrote on my favourite vehicle as usual changed the title a bit, wrote what I could think! :D ;)
ReplyDelete