Should Men and Women Have Designated Household Responsibilities In 2020?

While we all know that traditionally women stayed home and took care of the house and children, everything has been turned on its head. Especially during COVID-19, with both partners at home, roles are shifting. Even before the pandemic, it became necessary for women to work full time in most households.

Children

In today's world, a household where one partner can stay home and raise the children is a rarity. Traditionally, it would have been the woman who got maternity leave and then a job with shorter hours. Most women even quit their jobs until their children were school-aged in order to be with them and avoid costly nannies or child care outside the home.

In some cases, though, men might be the more nurturing parent. There are many reasons why it may be better for the father to stay home. Bonding with the children is one of them. The only thing fathers can't do is breastfeed their infants. Other than that, they are perfectly capable of taking care of babies and young children.

Women may also have some added challenges after giving birth or when they approach menopause. Sometimes, women need to take hormone balance supplements to feel their best and be up to the task of being the primary caregiver.

Cooking

Traditionally women cooked for the family, while the male cooking experience was limited to steaks or burgers on the grill during summer. Honestly, it does not even make sense that women are supposed to be the cooks, since many of the world's best chefs are male.

Ideally, whichever parent enjoys cooking the most should be doing the majority of it. If the idea of cleanup is discouraging cooking, let the rest of the family divide that job up. If neither of you is happy in the kitchen, try subscribing to meal kits or partially pre-packaged meals. Doing something you hate night after night is really not good for any family or relationship.

Cleaning

A discussion should be had and lists made about the household cleaning jobs that you each hate, like and don't mind doing. If you have kids, they should sign up for chores as well.

It's generally believed now that children should do their chores as part of their family responsibility and not be rewarded for it. However, a genuine "thank you" is always nice.

Another idea is to hire a cleaning service so no one has to do it. This is not an option for the very wealthy anymore, many households with average income have chosen this path.

Yard Work

Traditionally mowing the lawn and trimming the hedges were jobs for the men and boys in the family. There is no reason it has to stay that way, though. Mowing and trimming as well as weed pulling do not require any great strength, just a lack of allergies and a desire to work outside.

If all of you hate it, however, maybe work on reducing the lawn little by little and turning it into a wildflower garden. Native wildflowers require much less water than a lawn does and they have the added advantages of being beautiful, good for beneficial insects and never needing mowing.

Repairs

The big stuff around the house like painting, plumbing and trouble shooting the air conditioner are not necessarily jobs for the family. If any of these jobs seem daunting, don't be afraid to hire someone. That old joke about plumbers making tons of money may not be that true anymore. Read reviews and hire someone who is rated dependable, but fairly priced. The internet is a great resource to read about other peoples' experiences before you hire.

Conclusion

We can ignore traditional male/female household responsibilities and concentrate instead on who enjoys the task more, or who is better at it, something that couldn't be done in the past. The average American works too much as it is. Try to simplify, diversify or eliminate your household chores so you can actually relax at home.