Do you think men should do housework?

United States
October 30, 2006 4:32pm CST
Ok so I work full time and I'm a full time student. My husband doesn't work and isn't a student and basically does nothing all day. He won't help out with the housework though because he says thats my job, does anyone else think thats crappy?
4 people like this
226 responses
• United States
30 Oct 06
That is a load of crap. I stay home all day, so I take care of the kids, I do all the cleaning and cooking. My husband's great, so he does help me out once in a while, but if you're hubby wants to be the stay at home spouse, he should assume those duties. Remind him that a home, like a marriage, takes work from both people. And if that doesn't work, I'd go on strike for a while. Don't cook for him, clean for him or do his laundry and he should get the hint.
2 people like this
• United States
31 Oct 06
sounds like you've picked a real winner of a husband.
1 person likes this
@Meljep (1666)
• United States
30 Oct 06
oooo -- good one Newmomma. It would be interesting to see what would happen if she would go on strike.
• United States
30 Oct 06
I've tried that! I've let his laundry back up for a month! He went out and bought new clothes!
@ariana99 (116)
• United States
30 Oct 06
Of course men should do housework! My husband and I both work, and we take turns doing the dishes. I don't care about all of that old fashioned stuff. If a person lives there, they can help clean too :).....It goes both ways ;)
2 people like this
• United States
31 Oct 06
I look at it this way, when one person is working and the other is not, then the one at home can be responsible for the the stuff in the house since the other is working a fulltime job. To expect one person to do all simply because they happen to be female goes beyond selfish, Have you thought about trading him in on a newer model? lol sorry, just joking about trading him in.
1 person likes this
• United States
1 Nov 06
I think so!.What's wrong with it?.My husband helps me in kitchen a lot!!..He makes very good food also.:).But his brother doesn't like to her his wife in the kitchen...
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
30 Oct 06
OMG that is beyond crappy. He is lucky that you haven't kicked him out of the house! I would not tolerate him not working or going to school and refusing to maintain the house. You work hard enough to compensate for what he doesn't do. The least of what he should be doing is the housework.
2 people like this
@mandakat (879)
• Canada
31 Oct 06
I second that fully! Maybe you could start doing all the dishes you use, and your own clothes, etc and see if that gets him moving.
1 person likes this
• United States
1 Nov 06
I totally agree with you. So he does nothing all day and then expects to to clean up after he has laid around all day!! You are to nice...He is walking all over you. My Husband does most of the cleaning around the house. its about 60/40 only b/c he cleans the garage and the outside as well as shares the inside cleaning with me. We both work full time and I volunteer 4 days a week. There is no way I could do it all myself. ALSO...Why is he not working?? Is he fully capable to work?? Lethim know that untill he gets a job (which he had better do in the next 2 weeks) his new full time job will be maintaining the house, including cleaning, updating, repairing and prparing the meals for the day. Do let him give you any more excuses. Tell him to man up and start helping his family. Or Kick his butt OUT!!
• United States
30 Oct 06
Well, if you work full time and going to school full time and your husband dont work and not going school, he should do that work around the house! There is no excuse for it. He got nothing to do while you are gone to work so he have plenty of time to clean the house and do dishes, laundry etc etc. I do the house work because my husband works for us so I dont ask him to do much, but he help me out all the time without me asking.
@mandakat (879)
• Canada
30 Oct 06
Yeppers! But I also think you should've had that discussion with him BEFORE marriage, especially since you are working and in school!
• United States
30 Oct 06
yeah, I've figured that out now lol
@mandakat (879)
• Canada
31 Oct 06
LOL! Well I hope you can get him to come around!
• United States
30 Oct 06
well i think its a load of crap i meen im a stay at home wife so the majority of house cleaning and such is left to me but my husband still has things around the house that he has to do but they are mostly small choirs except he has to take care of the lawn i dont do yard work and hes better at it anyways lol but with you working he should do atleast a large amount of all the work.
1 person likes this
@clownfish (3272)
• United States
31 Oct 06
Same here. Mine has smaller chores to do while I do everything else. No one considers how much work it is to plan meals and grocery shop, too, esp when you have little ones in tow.
1 person likes this
@tickedoff (672)
• United States
30 Oct 06
lazy
hey look I'm a man and I do ALL the house work, cook, clean, take care of my son, fix cars, build houses, take out the trash, do laundry, so yes I think HE is crappy for doing nothing. tell him your not his mommy, if he's looking for a maid then go home.
1 person likes this
@shi_2000_21 (2680)
• India
1 Nov 06
I agree that husband should help their wifes. But if he is working and you are at home, then there is not point asking him for any help.
• United States
1 Nov 06
Well he doesn't work, I go to work everyday
@Ynefz0r (832)
• Finland
30 Oct 06
It only makes sense that if he wants to continue living with you he should start doing his part.
1 person likes this
@lizabeth (666)
• United States
30 Oct 06
Yes I think he should be helping out a whole lot. If he's not working or going to school then he should be picking up the slack. It is not just the womans job to clean house. If he was working and making the majority of the money then maybe he could have some say so, but if he's doing nothing all day...phish he needs to help out. That's just my opinion.
@Meljep (1666)
• United States
30 Oct 06
Oh yeah, marriage is a partnership. Both give 100%. He already has a mother, remind him you are his wife.
1 person likes this
• India
30 Oct 06
yes they should or atleast do housework on weekends or help their wives in daily chores
@clownfish (3272)
• United States
31 Oct 06
Agreed. At least they could put their dishes in the sink or in the dishwasher for us, and throw away their own food wrappers, etc.
@BrendaA (365)
• United States
31 Oct 06
If there arms and legs arnt broke, they should help do housework
• United States
1 Nov 06
as a man I say Hell yes. I dont want to live in a dirty house
• United States
30 Oct 06
Depends on who works in your household. I'm a stay at home mom and my husband works for a living, so I'm the one who does the housework. I don't expect him to do any housework, but it is nice went he helps every once in a while.
@clownfish (3272)
• United States
31 Oct 06
I'm in the same boat, except I do have jobs, one outside the home and two that I do over my computer. It's still nice to get the help!
• United States
30 Oct 06
Yes, well he's the stay at home lazy butt
• United States
30 Oct 06
Crappy? It goes beyond crappy and off into mouth-breathing neandrethal territory. I sure wouldn't put up with it. Go on strike. Start doing only your laundry and your dishes and cooking for only yourself. Marriage is a partnership and last time I checked there wasn't an instruction manual that came with a uterus that declared only those with one were allowed to do housework. Or, you could just kick his lazy, freeloading behind to the curb...
1 person likes this
@smuggeridge (2148)
31 Oct 06
weird, you have the exact same life as my best mate, although he's the lazy unemployed one that does nothing all day and his girlfriend goes to uni, then comes back and tidys up. I've tried telling him he should do something but some people are beyond help, but at least he does all the cooking i suppose. Does your husband do anything useful?
• United States
31 Oct 06
Ummmm no lol, he may take out the trash but thats about it!
• United States
31 Oct 06
Yes, I think that is crappy. I feel that husbands and wives should share the responsibility of cleaning house based on the amount of outside work each does. If they both work outside the home then they should both do the work. If one works outside the home and the other one doesn't then the one at home should do the most of the housework. In my situation, I am a stay at home mom, so I feel that part of my "job duties" include the housework. When I worked, I did feel that my husband should help out more though.
@srhelmer (7029)
• Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
31 Oct 06
This sounds exactly what Ann Landers once wrote in her column and I agree completely. If both are working full time, then the chores should be split 50/50. However, if one is home more than the other, they should take on more of the responsibility. Otherwise, any time you are home together, you're just going to be cleaning.
• Netherlands
31 Oct 06
My husband does already
@BrendaA (365)
• United States
31 Oct 06
Thats fantastic
• United States
31 Oct 06
oh i pity you. you certainly need a helping hand from you husband. tackle him in such a way that he does something to help you dont ask him to do, but make him do so.. :-)
• United States
31 Oct 06
I know what you're trying to say, and that doesn't work on him lol
@brown2654 (452)
• Pakistan
31 Oct 06
no men shud do only work that is out of home lolzz
• United States
31 Oct 06
Yeah well I guess you're another free loader huh?
@karbear (10)
• United States
31 Oct 06
i think thats compleatly crappy!!!! if he isn't working or in school then what is his job? so you have 3? thats totally not fair at all! my husband was out of work for about a month and didn't think that he should have to clean eather and i was working full time along with being 6 months pregnant!!! i couldn't belive it! i would tell him to stop being a lazy bum! he is living with his wife not his mom and you shoudlnt' ahve to do everything!
• United States
31 Oct 06
Im going to make him read all of these comments, maybe then he'll realize.