Allocating housework amongst family - does this work for anyone?

fairyflorence

sorry to say but all of my DDs were very helpful up to a certain age and then they became hopeless in the helpful department (the youngest DD is 5 and is learning too early from her sisters how to be hopelessly untidy!!). Dearest OH is the most organised person ever at work but the untidiest ever at home and just doesnt see any mess so I feel that I am moaning all of the time - I should have known when I met him that he was hopeless too because his mum did everything for him ......) I try to be organised but I always feel that it is a war and that everyone thinks that mum just nags all of the time. I envy my friends that have perfectly tidy homes and marvel at their ability to keep all of their families in order - I'd love to know how they do it ....

taplady

Sarahsaver wrote:

A tip - ZERO TOLERANCE! NEVER answer the common male plea 'where are my pants' The country would come to a standstill if women behaved in the same way. How pathetic is it for an adult not to where their clean underwear is? Do not entertain them!

A man I used to work with told me once that his wife used to layer his underwear in the drawer - one pair of pants and one pair of socks so that he could always put clean ones on each day!:rolleyes:

Sarahsaver

OMG that is horrendous! I would hate to be at the mercy of another human being as far as the guarntee of clean underwear is concerned!

taplady

Sarahsaver wrote:

OMG that is horrendous! I would hate to be at the mercy of another human being as far as the guarntee of clean underwear is concerned!

They are a very "old fashioned" couple I think. He goes out to work and she does absolutely everything around the house:eek: I dread to think how he'd cope if anything happened to her, probably expecr one of his daughters to do it all for him!:rolleyes:

esthomizzy

taplady wrote:

A man I used to work with told me once that his wife used to layer his underwear in the drawer - one pair of pants and one pair of socks so that he could always put clean ones on each day!:rolleyes:

My boyfriend once complained that I didn't put the newly washed items at the bottom of the drawer so all the items would wear evenly. I told him that when he worked out for himself how the washing machine works that would be exactly how the washing got put away. He hasn't mentioned it since.

poppycracker

LOl at esthomizzy....... that's exactly what I would say if my OH did that. Honestly!

Getting back to the original Post. We had housework rotas when I was small and because of them, my brother and I both know how to clean and cook! (He cooks better than I do). He even does his own washing!

taplady

DS1 actually offered to clean his rom today OMG!:eek:

I think it was because he wanted to hide out in there instead of helping his dad dig up the potatoes in the garden!:rolleyes: when I went to check on him after work he'd done a tiny bit but was lay on the bed watching the Simpsons!:mad:
He's going nowhere till he's finished!
I also told him yesterday that from now on I would only be washing what was in the basket Not what was left on the floor!:D

LouBlue

sexymouse wrote: »

I have that problem - my OH won't do any housework - he always says I'm nagging him, and his excuse is always (I've been working all day) - as if I haven't! It's so infuriating! When he does do housework, he does washing on his day off, and always manages to ruin everything, despite strict instructions as to which colours to seperate etc. Last week, it was tissues through the wash, the week before, he dyed the ovengloves a weird purple colour, and I no longer own a pair of white knickers any more!

I just could not put up with that. When OH moved in, he was lazy, yep you guessed it, his mum did everything for him, she liked to feel needed but I told him, I am not replacing your mother, if you want to stay, you have to muck in. It worked, its 50/50 for us and I couldn't live with a bloke that took me forgranted like that. He tried that excuse of I can't do it properly, hoping I would take over....well I'm stubborn.

Steel_2

Hubbie has a few jobs around the house that we both agreed on.

1. Rubbish and recycling on a Sunday night (Rarely remembers leaving me flying outside at 8am in dressing down to put it out.)
2. DIY (very good at it and exceptional at neat finishes, but rarely does it unless I lose my temper because he's trashed a room in a fit of DIY enthusiasm and then left it for 18 months)
3. Cutting the grass (rarely does it and only when I start investigating getting men in to do it. When we first moved in the next door neighbour used to do to help me out because I couldn't push the heavy petrol lawnmower over the uneven surface. Even that didn't shame him into doing it)
4. Cooking once a week to give me the night off (rarely does it and pulls a face when he has to. Occasionally makes out he doesn't know how to do something simple like cook pasta properly to get out of it)
5. Cleaning out cat's tray and feeding them at 4am when he gets up for work so they don't wake me up. (Does it without exception; he adores the little piggies :rolleyes: )

I do everything else, including cutting his hair, cleaning the drains and washing the car.

However, he does do a few other little things that he doesn't have to and that sort of makes up for it. Just.

1. Every morning fills the kettle and leaves a cup out with a tea bag, sugar and spoon in it. Occasionally soppy love notes are there as well.
2. Runs my once-a-week pamper bath and puts in oodles of bath bubbles and leaves a glass of wine on the side
3. Will drive me anywhere at the drop of a hat (I can't drive)
4. Empties and builds up the open fire every evening in winter
5. Puts out the kitchen rubbish bin when it's full
6. Heaps lavish praise on me when cakes and fruit crumbles appear
7. Rotovates my veg plots without being asked
8. Fills up the hot water bottle every night in the winter so the bed is warm when I get in.
9. Gets out of bed first on a Sunday and when he's on leave to make me a cup of tea
10. Makes me a cup of coffee after dinner and stacks the plates in the sink
11. Goes up the end of the garden to the shed when I need an onion from our store, even in stinking weather
12. Makes squidgy goo-goo eyes at me, even when I look and feel horrid and I'm hanging round the house in dingy stuff feeling sorry for myself

So when I feel crap about the fact he takes my expensive microfibre dusting and glass cloths to clean up oily engine parts or gives his hands 'a quick rinse' when he comes in from the garden leaving big streaks of dirt and grime across the towels when he wipes his hands, I just take a deep breath, smile and ask him if he wants a cup of tea. Then he runs off and makes one for me

kazmeister

Steel wrote: »

However, he does do a few other little things that he doesn't have to and that sort of makes up for it. Just.

1. Every morning fills the kettle and leaves a cup out with a tea bag, sugar and spoon in it. Occasionally soppy love notes are there as well.
2. Runs my once-a-week pamper bath and puts in oodles of bath bubbles and leaves a glass of wine on the side
3. Will drive me anywhere at the drop of a hat (I can't drive)
4. Empties and builds up the open fire every evening in winter
5. Puts out the kitchen rubbish bin when it's full
6. Heaps lavish praise on me when cakes and fruit crumbles appear
7. Rotovates my veg plots without being asked
8. Fills up the hot water bottle every night in the winter so the bed is warm when I get in.
9. Gets out of bed first on a Sunday and when he's on leave to make me a cup of tea
10. Makes me a cup of coffee after dinner and stacks the plates in the sink
11. Goes up the end of the garden to the shed when I need an onion from our store, even in stinking weather
12. Makes squidgy goo-goo eyes at me, even when I look and feel horrid and I'm hanging round the house in dingy stuff feeling sorry for myself

So when I feel crap about the fact he takes my expensive microfibre dusting and glass cloths to clean up oily engine parts or gives his hands 'a quick rinse' when he comes in from the garden leaving big streaks of dirt and grime across the towels when he wipes his hands, I just take a deep breath, smile and ask him if he wants a cup of tea. Then he runs off and makes one for me

I WANT ONE LIKE THAT