Often it is assumed that partners are splitting the chores in the household 50/50. I disagree. As a two-female household people are often curious who does the ‘womens’ chores (aka dishes and laundry) and who does the ‘mens’ chores (aka the yard work and house projects). Not often do these societal assigned tasks makeup 50% of the household work and frequently one partner feels overwhelmed or cheated based on their chores.
In my opinion, it’s not about splitting or assigning the chores, it’s about helping your partner. As a working mother sometimes my days get hectic and work filters into evening hours and the same goes for my wife who is also a working mother. These are the times that we pick up the slack. I usually cook, but if I’m too tired or not home, Krystal will cook and I’ll do the dishes. If I work on the weekend that doesn’t mean laundry doesn’t get done for the week, it just means that Krystal may have to do it. There is no chore chart or re-assignments for the lifetime of the chore; it’s more organic than that. Krystal and I usually go through our schedule for the week on Sunday evenings and then we take the initiative to pick up the tasks that need to be done if the other is overwhelmed or has other commitments.
Let’s be honest there are chores each of us hates to do. My Dad will put one dirty dish in a full, clean dishwasher rather than unloading it, he hates it! So my stepmom picks up the slack and unloads it while he loads it. I personally hate cleaning the bathrooms so Krystal will often take that while I clean the floor or some other area of the household. She hates putting away the laundry so I’ll put it away if she folds it. Learn what your partner enjoys or doesn’t mind doing, let’s be honest who really enjoys doing chores?
The separation of chores never needs to be a chore chart that is set in stone, unless that is what works for you; in that case more power to you! Sometimes our household operates at 50/50 but more often than not it’s a 60/40 ratio with the large percent rotating between the two of us. Look at chores as a way to help each other out, by helping each other out you make their lives easier and on your own life by extension. Happy Wife, Happy Life right?
