globetrotter
Stylish Dinosaur
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2004
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I've been thinking of this thread for a while, and a couple of recent threads pushed me over.
so, how do you divide labor in your household? frankly, I am not thrilled with how we do it, but I am very much invested in the idea that peace in the household is the most important thing, so I am willing to put up with some things that aren't perfect, in order to keep stress down and my family relationships smooth.
basically, I earn the money. when I am home, which is about 8 working days a month (taking into consideration travel and office days) I will try to take the kids to school, try to pick them up, wash them, read them bedtime stories. maybe half those days I'll make the kids dinner, and most days I'll make dinner for my wife and I. on the weekends, when not traveling, I will take my son to hebrew school on sunday, and then spend the morning with my daughters outside of the house. when we entertain, I will do the heavy lifiting in terms of cooking - the main courses, most of the sides. I will change the occasional lightbulb. iron my shirts and polish my shoes, take in and pick up the dry cleaning. that is basically what I do.
we have a lady who comes in once a week and will do most of the laundry and clean the house
my kids (9 and 4) clean up the living room and their own rooms
my wife does everything else - she is with the kids most days, drives them around, feeds them, keeps their stuff clean, washes dishes, does laundry that doens't get done by the cleaning lady, cooks food for herself and the kids when I can't (which is probably 3/4 of the time) handles all of our social interation - she sits on a few boards of non-profits, president of the PTA etc.
she has the whole stress of dealing with the kids all the time, I have the stress of being sole breadwinner. so, the laundry doesnt' get put away, the dishes don't get done every day, those types of things, and we don't argue about them.
how do you guys divide up the labor?
so, how do you divide labor in your household? frankly, I am not thrilled with how we do it, but I am very much invested in the idea that peace in the household is the most important thing, so I am willing to put up with some things that aren't perfect, in order to keep stress down and my family relationships smooth.
basically, I earn the money. when I am home, which is about 8 working days a month (taking into consideration travel and office days) I will try to take the kids to school, try to pick them up, wash them, read them bedtime stories. maybe half those days I'll make the kids dinner, and most days I'll make dinner for my wife and I. on the weekends, when not traveling, I will take my son to hebrew school on sunday, and then spend the morning with my daughters outside of the house. when we entertain, I will do the heavy lifiting in terms of cooking - the main courses, most of the sides. I will change the occasional lightbulb. iron my shirts and polish my shoes, take in and pick up the dry cleaning. that is basically what I do.
we have a lady who comes in once a week and will do most of the laundry and clean the house
my kids (9 and 4) clean up the living room and their own rooms
my wife does everything else - she is with the kids most days, drives them around, feeds them, keeps their stuff clean, washes dishes, does laundry that doens't get done by the cleaning lady, cooks food for herself and the kids when I can't (which is probably 3/4 of the time) handles all of our social interation - she sits on a few boards of non-profits, president of the PTA etc.
she has the whole stress of dealing with the kids all the time, I have the stress of being sole breadwinner. so, the laundry doesnt' get put away, the dishes don't get done every day, those types of things, and we don't argue about them.
how do you guys divide up the labor?