Spurred by the shirts thread, I wonder if we subdivide by age into "old fashioned" and "modern" when it comes to doing the housework. It appears, and perhaps people can clarify here, that some have the kind of relationship where the lady of the house does the washing and ironing and so forth, whilst the bloke does the diy and so on - very traditional.
But I think at least one younger member has said in the past they split it evenly, or in fact he does most of both domestic chores and the "men's work" as well.
My experience will be such an outlier it's not worth adding, but I'd be interested to hear how others split the work? Just nosey, really.
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Our's isn't quite split straight down the middle, other half does more cooking (mainly because she's far better than me), cleaning etc, but I think I'd do about 1/3 of such tasks maybe a bit more. Traditional tasks are about 75% me, but with me being away quite a bit OH still has to keep her hand in such tasks. Not yet extended to checking her car over when I'm away yet, ends up being dad or brother's job. Still trying on that one...
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>> But I think at least one younger member has said in the past they split
>> it evenly, or in fact he does most of both domestic chores and the "men's
>> work" as well.
Might be me, if you consider 43 younger. The missus has a longer commute, a busier job and almost twice my pay. I do the majority of the domestic work, both the traditional female and male roles. Herself never touches the washing machine for instance, which can consume almost an entire weekend with a family of four - washing, drying, folding, putting away. Good job there's nothing to iron.............one thing I'm let off on is general cleaning like dusting, hoovering, cleaning bathrooms etc, we get some very nice Thai ladies in once a week for that.
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I've been married 32 years and the split of domestic work has varied over the years depending on our circumstances, although I always did some of the child care and chores.
Now the kids have left home and we are both working full time, I do the food shopping and cooking. My Wife does the washing and ironing. She does most of the gardening, but we have a gardener that come to do the heavy stuff. We have a cleaner who does the bulk of what is needed and everything else is done fairly equally by whoever has time to do it!
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Don't forget to clean behind the fridge, or you are all sluts! © Godfrey Bloom MEP (Ind)
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Pretty fair labour division these days in the helicopter house.
SWMBO does shopping ,cooking and washing and ironing, she still works so we have a cleaner to do the hoovering & dusting.
I do the lawns and heavy labour gardening such as tree and hedge pruning and block paving weeding , patio pressure washing etc...
I also do the washing up and check the cars over for the usual petrol, lights , oil, water , screenwash and tyres.
Anything which requires drilling or screwing ( oo er misuss ) and painting is also my responsibility......
We both retire next year so it will be interesting to see what happens when we are both at home all day, will we be fighting over who does what..... I am sure the jobs are being lined up for me as I write.....
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More or less, if it takes place inside the house ( cooking, cleaning, vacuuming, ironing etc ) my wife does it ( although I do cook sometimes for fun ) and if it takes place outside the house, I do it ( garden, cars etc. )
I have though made it clear that if she wants me to become a full time house husband that's more than fine by me but she'd need to get herself a occupation which fully provided for our needs. ( and left enough over to fund my new found leisure activities which I'd do in the afternoons while the cleaning and ironing ladies were in )
;-)
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Mrs B does most of the cooking or at least did while I worked in London. Now I'm working at home and getting rider for life after work i do a bit. Tuna Pasta Bake with olives tonight.
Washing, operating the dishwasher and sorting out recycling is 50/50. She's the gardener except for mowing grass and I look after cars and bikes and do any DIY. Dusting and vacuuming are done by either and not as often as they should be.
When the kids were small we split stuff fairly evenly though my work/travel meant she bore brunt of nursery/school run/childminder stuff. Bit I'd take them out at weekends, particulalry when she was doing her Masters Degree from 99 to 02.
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In our household:
I cook 7 x breakfast, one lunch and 3 evening meals. SWMBO does the rest.
I do all the cleaning.
SWMBO does the washing and ironing.
I do all the shopping, gardening and diy.
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"I do the lawns and heavy labour gardening such as tree and hedge pruning"
You just hover your helicopter close to the hedge and voila!
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>> Pretty fair labour division these days in the helicopter house.
>>
"Pad" is the technical word, I think ?
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>> nothing to iron<<
Shame on you Alanovic, everything should be ironed, including dusters and teatowels;)
When we were both away all week tramping we had a cleaner but I still did the ironing at the weekend, and we shared the cooking.
Now we're both at home every night it really is a case of whoever has most time.
I cook a meal (of sorts!) all week and Ian always cooks at the weekend. He changes sheets and hoovers, mainly because I find it difficult but the garden is my domain apart from the heavy jobs.
I do the decorating apart from ceilings and he looks after the car but today I have creosoted a shed so it's a fair division of labour really!
Pat
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I cook, bake, hoover, clean and dust. And service the cars, DIY, decorate.
She washes and irons.
The dog cleans the kitchen floor.
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>> Does she wash you?
the dog?
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I am idle and selfish in all things, but it's only decent to clean up some of one's mess and do the odd bit of cooking and so on. Naturally I look after the car, to the extent it's looked after, and I prefer to do the driving myself when we are both in it. Herself, although quite a decent safe driver in a slightly mimsing way, is happy with that except when I start screaming obscenities about other drivers. Then she asks sweetly: 'Would you like me to drive?' Sometimes she has a moment of alarm, but it's just because I go faster than she does and if you aren't driving yourself you don't fully understand what's going on. Only very occasionally is the alarm justified. I really hate scaring myself, especially when there's someone else in the car. But no one's perfect. It can happen, but very rarely.
My daughter is having another birthday party here on Saturday - she likes parties and will often arrange two or three when most people would think one was enough - so today I mowed the back lawn with nice diagonal stripes, just in case it doesn't rain at the weekend. The yellow patches are fading and the dark green stuff has been growing far too fast. The mower is a self-powered Honda rotary with a roller, though, so when it gets a bit choked with fallen apples, deadly fungi and so on it tends to deposit small heaps of grass cuttings here and there, so you have to go round kicking them apart so they don't stand out... But I feel less knackered than last time so something is doing me good.
It's six so I'm off to pour myself a richly-deserved large drink. Prosit, Lakhaim, Saha...
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"My daughter is having another birthday party here on Saturday - she likes parties and will often arrange two or three..."
I say! Ding Dong!
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>> I say! Ding Dong!
You might well say that if you saw her BBD. But I mustn't sound smug or boastful.
To return to the subject, I forgot to add that apart from doing a bit of reluctant lawn-mowing, I am the only person here who understands mechanisms, can cope with the electricity systems, repair devices, make things out of wood, paint and so on and generally use tools. I am very good at some kinds of diy - in fact I dislike that term and don't call it that - but I'm not quick at it and I take forever to get round to it. No one's perfect.
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>> I say! Ding Dong!
>> You might well say that if you saw her BBD. But I mustn't sound smug or boastful.
To my horror the party was tonight, not tomorrow in the daytime. Nothing but disco music, much or it no good. Mind you she has some winsome friends. But having your place full of bopping strangers can pall after a while.
Oh God. They've just put Brown Sugar on. Gotta go. Sorry.
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Now it's Gimme Shelter. I can live without that.
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Some Stones numbers are better than others, although someone in the mood can usually dance to them.
Brown Sugar is terrific. I leaned over backwards and strutted up and down sticking my lips out. The little girls giggled thinking that was how I dance. Of course they would have giggled anyway. What do they know?
Can't keep it up for long these days without a fair amount of help.
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>>Can't keep it up for long these days without a fair amount of help.
A splint?
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>> A splint?
Nothing like that, no. Don't think about it FMR. You won't understand.
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>> You won't understand.
... But you will probably sympathise when I tell you that some time last night a toerag (probably a relation) STOLE MY VODKA OUT OF THE FRIDGE and drank it, a good half bottle. Since there were about 100 bottles of wine provided it can't have been thought necessary.
Really some people... wait till I catch the little carphound who is a lot closer to being made of money than I am. Not the end of the world obviously but mumble mumble gripe...
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People helping themselves to anything in my house would hack me off, never mind the heinous crime of stealing vodka.
I wouldn't dream of doing that if I was a guest somewhere.
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>> People helping themselves to anything in my house would hack me off, never mind the
>> heinous crime of stealing vodka.
>>
>> I wouldn't dream of doing that if I was a guest somewhere.
You'd have the gin away tho if it was Tanqueray.
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As a student I shared a flat with 3 other guys and we had it for 3 years. Some time near the beginning of our tenancy someone aquired or was bought or somehow came into possession of a large pork pie which lurked untouched and unloved in the salad tray of our fridge for at least two and a half years.
Well, anyway, one night we had a party and the following morning the pie was gone. We often wondered who ate it. we didn't actually hear of anyone dying but they must surely have had at least mild indigestion one would have thought.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Sat 12 Oct 13 at 16:51
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The real test of equality is not who does the cooking hoovering or ironing but rather who cleans the toilet.
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SWM is retired now and does all, and wants to do it all.
I look after and clean the cars obviously, get some shopping on the way home from work so i probably do half the weekly shop, put the washing in the machine half the time and fill the dishwasher half the time.
She does all the cooking and cleaning etc.
I'm useless at DiY, so we have a handy chap for that, its more cost effective.
Do i feel guilty, yes, am i lucky, very.
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I do all child related activity; Homework, hair washing, clothing, bedrooms, school runs, parties, activities and general transportation.
My wife does everything related to the kitchen with the exception of Sunday evening when I feed (i.e. go out and buy from take-a-way) the family and clean up after.
We share what cleaning we do, but mostly its done for us.
I do all DIY, house & car maintenance incl. the pools and general gardening, other than some areas where we have help. In fact, if it involves a tool not stored in the kitchen, its my problem.
She does all home or clothing related shopping ( I am neither trusted nor allowed).
I am totally in charge of whinging, martyrdom and man flu. She is in charge of lack of sympathy and mocking.
I have no objection to cooking, but Environmental Health and Child Protection have requested that I do not.
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It normally is the woman of the house Pat. Men tend to chose the easy bits of housework like cooking and hoovering if they do any at all Even then the kitchen is usually left in a state of devastation after a bout of man cookery. I include myself in this.
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>> It normally is the woman of the house Pat. Men tend to chose the easy
>> bits of housework like cooking and hoovering if they do any at all Even then
>> the kitchen is usually left in a state of devastation after a bout of man
>> cookery. I include myself in this.
I Insist (well she insisted I insist) that the kitchen is left in a better state than I found it before I started the cooking shift.
As far as the bogs go, I have invented a high pressure bleach gun...
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>> The real test of equality is not who does the cooking hoovering or ironing but
>> rather who cleans the toilet.
>>
I unblock it, replace the ballcock washer, mend the chain, and dig the roots out of the drain pipe. Does that count?
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I doo everything in the owse, except the shopping, dusting, gardening, changing bed linen/toilet rolls/etc
... and cleaning the toilets.
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I'm one of the younger ones here and quite impressed by the level of sharing from the more mature members!
In our house it varies I do everything at some point, but it depends on our workloads. Mrs B's work is ad hoc so when shes busyI will do more around the house. My work can involve travel and extended hours, so when this is the case she will do most things.
Ironing is the exception. Many years ago I pointed out she was rubbish at ironing shirts. That was the last time she ironed mine, so that's a me job now.
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Definite pink and blue jobs here, mostly as you'd imagine but gardening - I'm unenthusiastic so only go out to do it when SWMBO has already started getting the mower out. Also as I work at home a lot of the time, and we have solar panels (which only work in daylight!), I often will stick a load of washing in then hang it out, or run and empty the dishwasher (thank God for the mute button on those long conference calls...). My cooking skills have improved too but it's only standard stuff - can now do meat and two (or three) veg if pushed.
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I do all my own laundry and put it away. She's in charge of the kitchen being a supercook.....my only offerings are pasta which I do sometimes. I load the dishwasher, only a man can do this task properly. I make sure the kitchen is as immaculate as she wants it to be when she gets up. I also like to clear up after a dinner party or Sunday lunch with the kids round. I can't do with coming down in the morning and having things out of place.
I look after everything outside but sometimes push the vac round in the house. By the way, we now have no less than 8 vacs ! I look after the cars although the Polish lads round the corner wash and dry them for a fiver each. I do all the garden although I've got her interested in perennials so we've been planting slug proof stuff this year.
I do all the work on the Jowett, motorbikes and the model railway...strange, that ! She's never leared to use the MIG or gas welder, angle grinder or chainsaw...bless her. Maybe some instruction is needed but I think the weekly manicure would be the excuse not to indulge herself.
Life goes on !
Ted
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We mostly share household tasks (iron our own things). I work from home a lot these days so fit in cleaning so my wife doesn't - let's face it... it doesn't take long to do say a kitchen or bathroom. And a bit of extra time working early morning, lunchtime or often in the late evening means I am owed time from work.
In fact I will aim to clean the main areas when I know my wife has a few days off when she goes out and was going to clean when she got back. So kitchen, main bathroom, vacuuming (is Dysoning a verb yet?) etc.
Looks like I'll have to do the garden on Saturday though :-(
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Anyone can clean the bog. There's a brush, and you should use the most ecologically harmful cleaner available, the stuff in blue bottles covered with danger warnings. Bit of wet bog paper to wipe the rim, bob'syeruncle.
I feel almost nostalgic for some of the bogs I've seen in the slummier districts of large African cities. No one cleans those.
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And don't put paper down the Greek toilets.
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>> And don't put paper down the Greek toilets.
>>
The Greeks are down there already. :=(
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I'm untidy,Diana is the tidy one.She does most of the housework I look after the garden and the car.Ironing and folding not for me.Decorating and painting is done by me also.When you think of it she has a cushy live.That is why most women outlive men.
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If she reads your post I expect your life expectancy to decrease further.
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13 percent survival change Norwich still here kicking.>:)I show her the post now why not.Glutton for punishement.
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I don't think anyone has mentioned lightbulbs. Mrs Beest hasn't changed one in her entire adult life - or probably longer. Before setting up with me she rented a furnished flat, with a sympathetic landlord who sent his handyman to take care of even the simplest things. That was in the days when everything was bayonet and the only decision was how many Ws were required to illuminate but not incinerate. When the world went halogen, low-voltage, CFL and LED I knew I had no chance.
A year after we were married I was away on business for five weeks. When I left, our sitting room was lit by its full complement of eight bulbs. When I came back, it was down to two.
Now I'm playing a game of chicken that I know I'm going to lose. (And gambling's for fools.) We now have ten G9 halogens (ridiculously expensive, short-lived things - won't be buying any more fittings like those) in two clusters. Only six are still working, and I know I'll get tired of sitting in the semi-dark before she thinks of changing any.
I'd mind less if, in addition to all the tasks mentioned by other chaps above after the phrase 'of course, I look after the...', I didn't pull my weight in cooking, laundry, even bog-cleaning. Should I just buy one of those caps with LEDs under the peak?
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My bugbear is pens, as we call the things that are really only biros.
Periodically I buy several dozen, and distribute them round the house in handfulls. Three by each phone, six in the kitchen, two on the mantelpiece, two in each car, etc.
After a few weeks they have all vanished, apart from one that doesn't work which someone has carefully replaced in the pot.
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>> My bugbear is pens, as we call the things that are really only biros.
>>
>> Periodically I buy several dozen,
Call into a branch of Barclays Bank and pick up one or more free of charge. No questions asked.
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László Bíró would be very pleased, but they're actually ball point pens, Biro is a trade name.
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>> Biro is a
>> trade name.
>>
Ok, Ok, so's plasticene, blutac, pop rivits, hoover, snopake, and Earl Grey tea :)
But nobody steals them.
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You're joking; I've never seen a lump of blutac in my life without nicking a bit of it.
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>> Call into a branch of Barclays Bank
The quality of their pens has gone downhill to what they used to be like.
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>> >> Call into a branch of Barclays Bank
>>
>> The quality of their pens has gone downhill to what they used to be like.
>>
Even the staff won't use them in our local branch.
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>> >> Call into a branch of Barclays Bank
>>
>> The quality of their pens has gone downhill to what they used to be like.
>>
Blimey! What do you expect for nothing?
Next time, mention my name and they will give you an even better pen!
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>> Next time, mention my name
Barclays and Hillarys.
You do get around some.
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>> >> Next time, mention my name
>>
>> Barclays and Hillarys.
>>
>> You do get around some.
>>
You missed Wetherspoons!
;-)
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We tend to distribute the workload evenly, with the exception of ironing - she moans about having to much of it to do whilst still insisting on ironing the 25 year old pants and paint splattered shirt that only ever get used in the garden or for decorating
And we have a different approach to cleaning - she is in favour of time and attention to detail, I beleive you just need a stronger formulation of chemicals and perhaps a new ball of wire wool ;-)
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I work on averages, my wife on specifics.
To me, dirt management means ensuring that in the long run, the rate of deposition does not exceed that of removal.
That may mean that at any particular moment the surface is what some might call "dirty".
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>>whilst still insisting on ironing the 25 year old pants and paint splattered shirt that only ever get used in the garden or for decorating
>>
Now there's a fine upstanding woman after my own heart!
Pat
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Next time she's got a cob on because there's too much ironing to do, I'll suggest she parcels some up and send it down to you, Pat
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AC/DC on the stereo, ironing board set up to look over the garden and I'll be happy to do it for her!
I sing like mad and the music is so loud I can't hear myself;)
Pat
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Soon be getting that coveted ASBO then, Patty ?
Ted
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I do hope so Ted:)
Whilst we're on this subject some things puzzle me...
Why do men take of their clothes and put them in the laundry inside out?
Why do they object when I neatly iron them and place them back in the drawer inside out?
Why do men stand upright in front of a pristine white sink to wash mucky hands instead of bending over to stop the splashes?
Why do men always reverse into a supermarket car park space so you have no easy access to the boot with a trolley?
Is it to prove they can?
Pat
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Why do women moan about the seat being left up? Would you like me to leave it down and pee on it for you?
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>>Why do men take of their clothes and put them in the laundry inside out?
I thought you were supposed to wash things inside out? Reduces wear on the visible bits.
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>> Why do men take of their clothes and put them in the laundry inside out?
SWMBO complains that I do not follow instructions and turn my clothes inside out before putting them in the washing bin.
Wimmin are so inconsistent..:-)
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 16 Oct 13 at 18:28
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>>Wimmin are so inconsistent..:-)<<
Not really madf...I get dirty laundry inside out, you get it back clean and ironed inside out:)
Pat
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>> ironing the 25 year old pants
>>
I have never (knowingly) met anyone who ironed pants.
Or wore them 25 years old, for that matter.
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I think the "knowingly" is key there. I don't do parties and never have, but even I imagine it's a bit unlikely you would introduce yourself with "Hi, I'm Cliff, and how old are your pants?"
You'd just never find out, would you. I'm worried I'm going to spend the day looking at people now and thinking.. "I wonder...".
Quick, I must find something diversionary on Spotify - ah yes, Peter Sarstedt, No More Lollipops, that's weird enough, mutter, imprecate.
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>> Quick, I must find something diversionary on Spotify - ah yes, Peter Sarstedt, No More
>> Lollipops, that's weird enough, mutter, imprecate.
Yes, no way could a guy like this, with such beautifully coiffured hair and immaculate facial furniture, wear 25 year old underpants.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE89OeM5nmU
(great song tho)
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Yeah, but everyone knows that and it's not weird. :)
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>> I have never (knowingly) met anyone who ironed pants.
My friend who is a GP advocates such a practice, particularly for ladies pants. Apparently, a hot iron kills off fungal spores of thrush etc which easily survive the 30degree wash.
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Which is why underwears are washed at 60 in my house.
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>> Which is why underwears are washed at 60 in my house.
And I thought it was the chip on your shoulder. The tight shrunken underwear explains a lot.
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Dunno about you but my pants aren't woolly knitted ones. Cotton doesn't shrink.
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>> Dunno about you but my pants aren't woolly knitted ones. Cotton doesn't shrink.
Oh really?
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Well my undercrackers appear to be the same size after many dozens of washes at 60 deg. Likewise cotton shirts and the rest. If there is shrinkage, it's minimal and not noticeable to me. Certainly not enough to consider them tight. Boxers only for me, not speedo-type aberrations or y-fronts.
So I think you can eliminated that from your inquires and safely go back to your chip on shoulder theories. Whatever that was about anyway.
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>>my undercrackers appear to be the same size after many dozens of washes at 60 deg
60 deg! - good God man, no wonder we've got all this ere blimmin climate change taking place.
:+)
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>> Cotton doesn't shrink.
Oh yes it does!!!!!
Remember jeans that shrank to fit while you sat in the bath in them?
My polycotton Rohans always get shortened with a bit extra left for shrinkage.
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>> >> Cotton doesn't shrink.
Not sure about that. The collars on my cotton shirts are always that little bit tighter after their first wash.
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ALL my clothes have shrunk. :-(
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General housewifery - sooty123
