HOUSEWORK AND MEN

In our previous post 21st-century men are more progressive than ever but still won’t do the housework, we covered how the most emancipated men may actually suck at picking up a fair load of the household work. Here’s to all the men who want to help and all the women who want the help, a list of ideas to get you started.

Pull in the kids early

If you are a parent, irrespective of the gender of your child, you need to start having conversations with them around the importance of cleanliness, doing their chores, and contributing to housework in whatever ways they can. Easy ones to get started - lay the table, tidy their rooms, water the plants, dust the bookshelves.

I’m a mum to a 4-year-old and the credit system works miracles here. Give them points for tasks done and link them to goodies at the end of the week. 20 points for two scoops of ice cream, 10 points get you only one.

Conduct an audit (yes we’re serious) and divide the workload

Make a list of everything that constitutes housework and divide it between you and your partner and other members of the family. Knowing what everyone is supposed to do will enable better planning and adherence. There should be some room for flexibility so that if someone encounters something pressing whether at work or personally, the other people step-up to take care of the task. A tip for the alpha women out there, if the grocery shopping got delayed by a day - relax, order in for a day. Learn to let go to gain in the long term.

Don’t keep scores - it’s not the IPL

It’s a super lucky scenario where you have a perfectly equal division of labour but it’s also unlikely you will achieve that on a weekly basis. Some weeks will feel like 100-0 but take a slightly medium-term view of things. Communicate with your partner and talk about what you can pick up and what you need help with based on how your upcoming week is looking.  

Find meaning in housework

Our attitude towards things plays a critical role in determining how we find them—interesting or irritating.

Fortunately, housework is something that can easily be associated with a higher and more meaningful purpose. Cleaning a loved one’s utensil or cooking for the family is the purest form of love.

Similarly, when someone else reciprocates it by doing these chores for you, be truly thankful because you have people in the world who care for you.

We hope that you'll find these ideas useful.