While equality is very much the buzzword these days, many households are still operating in very old-fashioned ways. If it is the norm in your house for the woman to do all the housework, then you need to start correcting the balance.
Women are just as busy as men these days and they could do without cleaning up after an entire family day in, day out, on top of all their other work. Here are some ways to make things fairer in your house.
Set the Housework Rules
You need to have an honest conversation with your partner and agree which jobs will be done by which person. Some people agree to a “blue list” and “pink list.” While this is a patronizing thing to call it, the essence of the idea is good. The blue list is things the man is responsible for. The pink list is the woman’s responsibility.
Or the other way round if you like! Don’t let it turn into an argument though – make sure the discussion stays calm. Decide between yourselves who is responsible for putting the garbage and recycle cans out, who washes the dishes, who does the laundry…and so on.
This doesn’t mean you can’t help each other out with jobs here and there. it just means that every job has an “owner.” Men respond well to being told what their jobs are, as long as they feel like they have had a part in the discussion.
Write it down so you both know what you have agreed to. A common “man trick” is to do the job so badly he’s not asked to do it again – don’t let him get away with this or you’ll create a whole load more work for yourself.
Get Some Help
If you are too busy, and your partner is too busy, then no amount of rule-setting will get the jobs done. If this is the case then it’s time to bring some help in. If you are both income earners, then this should be easy enough to pay for, and you can prove it to yourself because it will buy you both more time to work, and therefore earn more money.
Have a look online at some cleaning service providers and see what they offer. Make sure you both contribute towards the cleaning bill so it feels fair.
Tidy as You Go
The thing that takes the most time is picking up endless clutter, so both of you should follow a rule where you should tidy as you go. That way, when you do get down to some cleaning, you can press on with the important stuff than wasting time putting things away.
It’s really easy to tidy up after yourself – it’s just pure laziness not to. If you have kids then they need to be trained in the same way. Start them young!
Keeping a clean and tidy house is a job that single family member should share responsibility for. Don’t fall into the trap of doing it all yourself – stand your ground!
Lisa Fraser, today’s feature contributor, is an employee at Lux Maids. She has an enthusiastic personality and she likes to keep everything in an orderly manner. To know more about her and her company visit www.luxmaids.com.
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