Should a woman (SAHM) be doing EVERYTHING in the house if she doesn't go out to work?

supersaver2

FBaby wrote: »

Reading this made me realise how much quicker you get used to do things when you have to get on with all the above AND work full-time!

Two adults and two kids in the house:
Shopping: one hour a week. I'm usally in and out as quickly as possible!
Washing up/dishwasher/putting crockery: 15 minutes max. Putting crokery is done in the morning whilst kettle is boiling!
Cooking: Anything from 10 minutes to 1 hour max. Anyone who spends 2 hours a day is either pretending to be a chef or seriously need to review their organisation skills!
Ironing and laundry: 2 to 3 loads a day 10 minutes each time, ironing, about 1 hour on Sunday evening, again amazing how you learn to do things well and quickly!
Driving children: 1 hour a week (that's with drop up in the morning). They have learnt that walking is actually less a chore than listening to me complaining of being taken for a taxi!

I definitely know that if I was a SAHM, I would have learnt to do things just as quickly so to enjoy the rest of my free time!

This could be describing me and my wife, both work, a toddler and 3 dogs. You get on with it quickly as you just don't have time to dither about! Can't imagine spending 40 hours a week cleaning your home! Once the children are at school I can't understand why you need a full time SAHP. When my wife was on maternity leave she always had the house spotless with cooking and washing sorted, plus time for an afternoon nap. I think it can be as hard as you make it, my upmost respect has to go to single working parents, now that I can imagine is a hard life.

skintchick

FBaby wrote: »

And yet many couple where both work full-time manage to fit it all in the evenings and week-ends so it can't be that bad doing it with an additional 40 hours.

As I said earlier, you won;t be doing it to the same standard that a SAHM tends to. My weekly cleaning routine includes wiping down walls and internal doors, cleaning the insides of all windows, dusting all surfaces, washing skirting boards, cleaning out the fridge, hoovering all floors every other day, washing floors weekly and spot cleaning them daily, daily tidying (at least twice a day when you have children), interim cleaning of wet rooms and weekly thorough cleaning of wet rooms including descaling and mould removal, and hoovering sofas under cushions. I also do a weekly thorough clean of the kitchen moving all things on the surfaces, washing out the composting bin and kitchen bin.

Daily I tidy as I said, do at least one load of washing every day, put clean laundry away, do washing up numerous times, load and unload the dishwasher at least once, do a wipe down of the kitchen at least twice a day and probably more times.

I also regularly empty cupboards and shelves and wash them down, wash curtains and blinds, wash cushion covers, sponge furnishings, clean rugs and carpets, and dust lightbulbs.

Additionally, I have to regularly sort through DDs toys and throw out the junk she collects, put everything back where it belongs (she tries but is only 4), mend clothes etc where needed, sew in name labels, sort through DD's clothes when she grows into a new size and box up old things or sell them, do the gardening, the shopping (which tends to be one big shop and a couple of interim shops a week), run errands like the Post Office, bank, etc., ensure we have birthday cards and gifts for family and all DDs friends, make sure invitations etc are replied to (basically all family correspondence).

There's probably more; but I'm willing to bet you don;t do even a quarter of that in your weekend cleaning time.

Believe me, if you've never been the at-home one then you have NO idea what it entails and what people expect of you "because you don't work". I work way harder than my husband but his job is the one society values.

gunsandbanjos

supersaver2 wrote: »

I think it can be as hard as you make it, my upmost respect has to go to single working parents, now that I can imagine is a hard life.

I'm a single parent and I work full time, it's difficult but not impossible. Honestly though I'm happier now I'm single, my ex husband was unbelievably messy and did no housework. So I've probably got more time now as I don't have to clean up after him too.

purpleshoes_2

skintchick wrote: »

As I said earlier, you won;t be doing it to the same standard that a SAHM tends to. My weekly cleaning routine includes wiping down walls and internal doors, cleaning the insides of all windows, dusting all surfaces, washing skirting boards, cleaning out the fridge, hoovering all floors every other day, washing floors weekly and spot cleaning them daily, daily tidying (at least twice a day when you have children), interim cleaning of wet rooms and weekly thorough cleaning of wet rooms including descaling and mould removal, and hoovering sofas under cushions. I also do a weekly thorough clean of the kitchen moving all things on the surfaces, washing out the composting bin and kitchen bin.

Daily I tidy as I said, do at least one load of washing every day, put clean laundry away, do washing up numerous times, load and unload the dishwasher at least once, do a wipe down of the kitchen at least twice a day and probably more times.

I also regularly empty cupboards and shelves and wash them down, wash curtains and blinds, wash cushion covers, sponge furnishings, clean rugs and carpets, and dust lightbulbs.

Additionally, I have to regularly sort through DDs toys and throw out the junk she collects, put everything back where it belongs (she tries but is only 4), mend clothes etc where needed, sew in name labels, sort through DD's clothes when she grows into a new size and box up old things or sell them, do the gardening, the shopping (which tends to be one big shop and a couple of interim shops a week), run errands like the Post Office, bank, etc., ensure we have birthday cards and gifts for family and all DDs friends, make sure invitations etc are replied to (basically all family correspondence).

There's probably more; but I'm willing to bet you don;t do even a quarter of that in your weekend cleaning time.

Believe me, if you've never been the at-home one then you have NO idea what it entails and what people expect of you "because you don't work". I work way harder than my husband but his job is the one society values.

Its all personal. Some stay at home mums and dads I expect wont do as much housework as some people who work full time or part time. Everyone will prioritise housework and other household tasks differently.

Everyone has different priorities. I know someone who doesnt work and her house has so much rubbish in it she cant open the door to a housing officer because they would take exception to the way she lives.

thatgirlsam

skintchick wrote: »

As I said earlier, you won;t be doing it to the same standard that a SAHM tends to. My weekly cleaning routine includes wiping down walls and internal doors, cleaning the insides of all windows, dusting all surfaces, washing skirting boards, cleaning out the fridge, hoovering all floors every other day, washing floors weekly and spot cleaning them daily, daily tidying (at least twice a day when you have children), interim cleaning of wet rooms and weekly thorough cleaning of wet rooms including descaling and mould removal, and hoovering sofas under cushions. I also do a weekly thorough clean of the kitchen moving all things on the surfaces, washing out the composting bin and kitchen bin.

Daily I tidy as I said, do at least one load of washing every day, put clean laundry away, do washing up numerous times, load and unload the dishwasher at least once, do a wipe down of the kitchen at least twice a day and probably more times.

I also regularly empty cupboards and shelves and wash them down, wash curtains and blinds, wash cushion covers, sponge furnishings, clean rugs and carpets, and dust lightbulbs.

Additionally, I have to regularly sort through DDs toys and throw out the junk she collects, put everything back where it belongs (she tries but is only 4), mend clothes etc where needed, sew in name labels, sort through DD's clothes when she grows into a new size and box up old things or sell them, do the gardening, the shopping (which tends to be one big shop and a couple of interim shops a week), run errands like the Post Office, bank, etc., ensure we have birthday cards and gifts for family and all DDs friends, make sure invitations etc are replied to (basically all family correspondence).

There's probably more; but I'm willing to bet you don;t do even a quarter of that in your weekend cleaning time.

Believe me, if you've never been the at-home one then you have NO idea what it entails and what people expect of you "because you don't work". I work way harder than my husband but his job is the one society values.

This really puzzles me. I do ALL that and more, working full time and being a single Mum. I also do the outside of the windows!

skintchick

thatgirlsam wrote: »

This really puzzles me. I do ALL that and more, working full time and being a single Mum. I also do the outside of the windows!

I pay a window cleaner to do the outsides.

So if you do all that round a FT job, when do you sleep?!! Or are you Superwoman? :T

balletshoes

skintchick wrote: »

I pay a window cleaner to do the outsides.

So if you do all that round a FT job, when do you sleep?!! Or are you Superwoman? :T

I think you and thatgirlsam both are - I needed a lie-down just after reading your list of stuff you do!

thatgirlsam

skintchick wrote: »

I pay a window cleaner to do the outsides.

So if you do all that round a FT job, when do you sleep?!! Or are you Superwoman? :T

Sometimes I think I might be!!


I'm very house proud.. and keep on top of it. House is spotless when I leave for work.. don't forget there is no-one here all day to make it dirty!

onlyroz

skintchick wrote: »

As I said earlier, you won;t be doing it to the same standard that a SAHM tends to. My weekly cleaning routine includes wiping down walls and internal doors, cleaning the insides of all windows, dusting all surfaces, washing skirting boards, cleaning out the fridge, hoovering all floors every other day, washing floors weekly and spot cleaning them daily, daily tidying (at least twice a day when you have children), interim cleaning of wet rooms and weekly thorough cleaning of wet rooms including descaling and mould removal, and hoovering sofas under cushions. I also do a weekly thorough clean of the kitchen moving all things on the surfaces, washing out the composting bin and kitchen bin.

Seriously, why would you do all of that every week, even if you have the time to? Aren't there more interesting ways you could spend your time?

I don't see the need to hoover more than once a week, possibly twice in the high throughput areas. I mop the kitchen and bathroom once a week, wipe down kitchen and bathroom surfaces after each use and do a more thorough clean every few weeks. Life's too short to spend it all cleaning, and doing so just increases your risk of asthma etc.

As for cooking - I cook most things from scratch these days. During the week I'd spend 15-30 minutes tops on prep and then 30 minutes cooking max, while I prepare the packed lunches for the next day. At the weekend we might do something more elaborate, and I might batch cook for the freezer.

supersaver2

thatgirlsam wrote: »

Sometimes I think I might be!!


I'm very house proud.. and keep on top of it. House is spotless when I leave for work.. don't forget there is no-one here all day to make it dirty!

You sound like my wife! She was out hanging washing out at 6.00am this morning and cleaning the recycling boxes out all before work! Life is frantic and we both see a different side of life when we are off for the school holidays (both teachers) the same jobs get done just at a slower pace!