how much of the daily housechore to you split with your spouse or kids? ..

@ranitam22 (1146)
United States
August 21, 2007 5:22pm CST
or do you do all the housework? It's just me and my boyfriend, both of us work so pretty much at times we share the house chores. I do all the laundry though. But he cooks, cleans, and washes dishes at times even though he complains that it's a woman's job to handle the home, but I feel like that is true if you are not working or you were traditionally brought up that way which I have no problem with, but I just think that if we both work, why should i have to do extra work when i come home when i work just as hard as he does? What chores and when do you think children should start having to do? I know my nephew who is 12 now cleans his room, does the dishes, and at times will put a load of laundry in because my sister is a single working mother. I know he used to love to help me wash dishes when he was younger. What do you think? Who should do what house chore?
1 person likes this
13 responses
@vinzen (1020)
• India
22 Aug 07
Hi, well i think if we are a family, we should all learn to share and do the household chores, as it lessens the burden of any one person, who would otherwise have to do all the work all alone. We are four members in our family or call it 5,including our pet dog too, as he also helps around ! Well my kids , have been trained right when they were small, to clean their own rooms, polish their shoes, do up their beds, lay out the table, dust the rooms, wash their small clothes,and incae of need even sweep and mop the floors and ash dishes along with me. So they have no problems and do all their work, very willingly. My husband look after our dog and generally helps me around do up the laundry and the garden etc, and our dog brings us the morning newspaper and his own bowl for his milk time in the morning. ! So we are a happy family, and have always been sharing our work.
@vinzen (1020)
• India
23 Aug 07
I agree, no one person should be burdened as no one person messes up the place either and if we all have messed up the place, we all ought to get down and clean it together too.
@vinzen (1020)
• India
17 Sep 07
Thanks for marking this as the best response, i appreciate that. Have a nice day :)
@ranitam22 (1146)
• United States
23 Aug 07
I don't feel like the burden should be on one person either. every one has a hand at messing up and I think everyone should help clean it up. thanks for the response.
@ssh123 (31073)
• India
22 Aug 07
I take care of paying electricity bill, telephone bill, water bill, internet bill, mobile bill, bring medicines, groceries, vegetables, ready my son to school. Rest of the work is hers.
@ssh123 (31073)
• India
23 Aug 07
It is better to share the burden than to keep away. There is greater pleasure in participation, there is greater fun in joining others at household work. One will miss all these things, if one avoids these things.
@ranitam22 (1146)
• United States
22 Aug 07
that's cool that you get your son ready for school, and it sounds like you have a well-functioning system that seems to work. thanks for the response.
1 person likes this
@lkbooi (16070)
• Malaysia
23 Aug 07
Normally those strenuous and heavy jobs always go to my hubby. The remaining household chores are left to me and my sister in law. The kids have their own duties assigned as well. They have to tidy up their beds, washing their plates, shoes and socks and other minor personal items.
@ranitam22 (1146)
• United States
23 Aug 07
Good system, thank you.
@carlaabt (3504)
• United States
22 Aug 07
I do the majority of the house work, but my husband helps a lot. He carries laundry up and down the stairs, and washes it sometimes. He helps put it away, too. He also takes out the trash, and vacuums. He cooks about once a week and is pretty good about loading the dishwasher. My son is only 18 months old, so the only chore he has is to put his toys away when he is done playing with him. He also likes to feed the dogs, but he isn't required to do it, he just likes to help if he's up when my husband or I do it. I think that the majority of the cleaning and things falls on me because I'm home all day. I work about 20-25 hours a week, but it's almost all from home. So it's easier for me to get stuff done around the house.
@ranitam22 (1146)
• United States
23 Aug 07
That is good that your son is in the habit of helping. When he does get old enough to start helping out, it won't be as much of a problem because he will be used to it. That's very good. thanks for the response.
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
22 Aug 07
It depends upon the mutual understanding and the time available at the disposal of the respective partners and their interests in discharging particulars house hold chores.
@ranitam22 (1146)
• United States
22 Aug 07
yes it does depend on who does what, who was raised how, and who has the time. thanks for your response.
@pinnibabu (135)
22 Aug 07
I think its fair enought to share the household chores with your better half. I am a housewife and I dont expect help from my hubby on weekdays because i know that he too is busy. On weekends he helps me a lot. Like he chops vegetables, cleans the vehicle, gives bath to our kid. He does all these on his own. I dont demand that he should do it.
@ranitam22 (1146)
• United States
23 Aug 07
I agree with you. That's cool. As long as every knows what they are doing and the house is running smoothly, it seems like you have a good system.
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
22 Aug 07
My husband and I split the chores. And it really is a matter of what needs to be done and who has time that day, that's all. Sometimes I think it'd be easier if we had a schedule or a chart, because he always needs to ask me what should be done, or I have to tell him. But if there are dirty dishes, he'll wash them. And if there is a lot of laundry, he'll do it. He just doesn't look down, so he doesn't realize that floors need to be washed or vacuumed to stay cleaned.
@ranitam22 (1146)
• United States
22 Aug 07
I think that's how it should be like you said depending on who has to do what and what needs to be done. That is cool. Thanks for the response.
• United States
22 Aug 07
Mostly I do the housework but I want to. I don't like things dirty or cluttered. Right now I don't have a choice because we just moved in to a house. I'm also trying to get ready for a garage sale this weekend so maybe the house will be less cluttered. My fiance' helps around the house. He takes out the garbage (that's the only thing I won't do), he does dishes sometimes and he cooks sometimes. I started doing chores when I was small. I think children should start doing chores at an early age so they will know what they need to do to keep a nice house. They make some of the mess too so they should clean up too. I think children should take out the garbage, pick up after themselves, fold laundry, and other things like that.
@ranitam22 (1146)
• United States
22 Aug 07
Garage sales are the best. I would like to have one for I have things stored, but I live in an apartment complex and they don't have community garage sales. What i usually do is donate clothes that i don't wear and things every 6 months or so to try to keep things neat.
@roniroxas (10560)
• Philippines
21 Aug 07
i have no spouse but i have four kids. yes we split all the chores in the house and it is really a big help. my first born is 16 he washes the dishes during tuesday and thursday and saturday lunch time and he cleans the dinning room. my 2nd born is 15 she cleans their bed room and washes the dishes every monday, wednesday friday lunch time. 3rd born is 13 cleans the living room and washes the dishes monday, wednesday and friday dinner. and the youngest 11 cleans the bath room and washes paltes dinner time during tuesday, thursday and saturday. i cook and wash clothes. sometimes they wash the clothes and cook to. they are a big help really around the house.
@ranitam22 (1146)
• United States
21 Aug 07
That is a great system and it seems like it works pretty well. I like how they have jobs for the different meals. Very creative. Thanks for the response.
• United States
22 Aug 07
My son does the sweeping, and takes the trash out. He was doing dishes before he broke his arm, and he keeps his room clean, plus he helps fold and put away the laundry. He does get an allowance for the work he does. My husband and I share the cooking in our household, but I do all the dishes. I think that we split the household duties pretty well, he works full time and I only work part time, so I think that I should do most of the housework. But our son likes to help out to, and have the extra money to spend.
@ranitam22 (1146)
• United States
22 Aug 07
That's a good incentive and it shows him the value of a dollar and the meaning of work for pay. I got an allowance when i was younger once a week for doing housechores as well. That's great. Thanks for the response.
• United States
21 Aug 07
During the week, my fiance and I usually split up the household chores, though not always evenly. On the weekends, when I am home and he is at work, I usually take over doing most of the chores. Since he works and goes to school, while I only work, I don't mind picking up some extra chores; when he was not working or in school, he did the same for me.
@ranitam22 (1146)
• United States
22 Aug 07
I think that is very fair and a good system
@maehan (1439)
• United States
22 Aug 07
I do all the housework currently since I am not working (stay at home mom). 10 months ago, when I am working, we will share the workload. We did not really care who do more or less. It depend the day who are more tired. At times, he will do all the housework when I am exhausted... vice versa. Currently, he is the sole breadwinner and very tired after the work. So, I will get the housework done, nurture my kids, teach my kids on how to do simple housework chores.
@ranitam22 (1146)
• United States
22 Aug 07
That's cool and only fair since you are home all day and he is working. I think it's just really common courtesy and having respect for the other person. thanks for the response.
@ronak4u (136)
• India
15 Aug 08
i am bachalor. i am not a married person i just spend my time in work & Family only with my parents.