Unequal house chores

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T

tstumf

Guest
#21
The only solution here is to hire someone to help with chores...and to take your wife on a nice little vacation. A change of scenery will perk her up maybe 🤷🏾‍♀️.

I wish it were that simple. She gets travel anxiety. So vacationing isn’t really vacationing at all. Ive suggested the hire it done. She doesn’t agree with the cost to hire it done. All the same Thankyou for your suggestions though. There was a glimmer of hope last week. I mentioned getting a pet dog because a boy needs a dog and needs to learn how to care for animals. I also casually mentioned we all need to work on keeping the house picked up to keep the animal from eating something it shouldn’t and die . She’s supportive of getting a pet and suggested that she was going to make a house cleaning chart to help out with teaching our son how to clean. So I’m hopeful she will follow through.
 
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TheIndianGirl

Guest
#22
That is a tough situation. I think the best solution is to have a meeting and split up chores, such as one person does the laundry the other washes dishes etc. Working full time, taking online classes (and also doing the assignments/studying for tests), and taking care of a toddler is a lot of work though. Maybe you can consider hiring someone until she is finished with her studies.
 
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TheIndianGirl

Guest
#23
One thing you can do is get rid/donate any excess items, or keep the excess items away/not too accessible. For example, you only need a few pots/pans in the kitchen, and a few cooking utensils. Same with dishes/glassware. Keep the items for guests in a separate cabinet. Go through the closet and donate/get rid of unattractive/unused items. Being a minimalist will help reduce some of these issues.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,177
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#24
what a dog?! isnt that MORE work lol

Your household aounds a bit crazy but Im sure yu are clever and will figure something out. To me it just seems like you are complaining a bit much. Its not THAT big a deal to hang the laundry out. Women do it all the time, why then does it have to to be a horribly big thing for a man to do??

If she wants to mow the lawns in exchange cos it takes about the same amount of time, then swap jobs. Maybe she wants to get outside in the fresh air, sometimes outside jobs are good for those stuck inside all day.
 
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tstumf

Guest
#25
what a dog?! isnt that MORE work lol

Your household aounds a bit crazy but Im sure yu are clever and will figure something out. To me it just seems like you are complaining a bit much. Its not THAT big a deal to hang the laundry out. Women do it all the time, why then does it have to to be a horribly big thing for a man to do??

If she wants to mow the lawns in exchange cos it takes about the same amount of time, then swap jobs. Maybe she wants to get outside in the fresh air, sometimes outside jobs are good for those stuck inside all day.
Ok obviously this is a secondary issue to my other post and that one is taking my focus at the moment. With all due respect . It’s not just the laundry. I have no problem doing a few tasks in the house including laundry, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping . I used to be a custodian and did it professionally so no it doesn’t bother me to help where needed . In fact I find laundry kinda relaxing after working 9hr days, 5 days a week in the heat of a 95F mechanic shop but when I’m doing 90% of this home cleaning and chores after my work hours , week after week, year after year, I’m weary lol. Not angry, not annoyed. I’m just tired and when I wrote this post originally I was not in a good place mentally. This is a hundred other maybe small insignificant things that just seem to pile up and cause bigger problems. I’m not trying to complain please don’t misunderstand. We’re talking about not only laundry and routine tasks but things that are also greatly unsanitary and a detriment to the families health. I’m surprised we didn’t get rats and other pests the last month to be honest cause she doesn’t scrape her plates/pots/ pans .To the sink they get thrown food scraps and all. And there it collects day after day after day if I let it. Do you know of women who refuse to clean up their own menstrual blood off the toilet seat? That is what I’m talking about. Not just once but time and time again I clean the dried blood off the toilet seat cause she don’t care she will just continue to sit on it and ignore it.She lets her menstrual pads sit and ripen in the bathroom trash I counted about 3 cycles and the trash overfills. She will leave the toilet paper roll empty and not refill it. I could go on though I’d rather not. I really don’t feel I’m making this to be bigger than it is cause it didn’t use to be this way and if using a pet dog as some means of a motivation to get others to contribute more as odd as it may sound to some I’m willing to try it. Worst case I pick up a just little more mess. And I have a little pal to help alleviate my anxiety about this( Miniature dog) not a full size by any means.
 
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SophieT

Guest
#26
I’m not trying to complain please don’t misunderstand. We’re talking about not only laundry and routine tasks but things that are also greatly unsanitary and a detriment to the families health
IMO, you have every right to complain. You are really being taken advantage of. Just hire someone if you can and give yourself a rest. Sounds like you make all kinds of excuses for her. I wouldn't. Be realistic. Seriously.

There is an excuse for everything in her case...an excuse is not a reason. Put on your big boy pants and take initiative.

Has your wife had a physical lately? If she is in fine physical shape, she needs a shake up and frankly I think you do too.
 
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SophieT

Guest
#27
I clean the dried blood off the toilet seat cause she don’t care she will just continue to sit on it and ignore it.She lets her menstrual pads sit and ripen in the bathroom trash I counted about 3 cycles and the trash overfills. She will leave the toilet paper roll empty and not refill it.

that's disgusting and not normal. could be something wrong mentally. normally, a woman would clean up after herself

I mean you can ignore me here but nothing is going to change unless and until, you MAKE it happen
 
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TheIndianGirl

Guest
#28
Do you know of women who refuse to clean up their own menstrual blood off the toilet seat? That is what I’m talking about. Not just once but time and time again I clean the dried blood off the toilet seat cause she don’t care she will just continue to sit on it and ignore it.She lets her menstrual pads sit and ripen in the bathroom trash I counted about 3 cycles and the trash overfills.
This is disgusting but may not be too uncommon (I have had a couple of roommates (slob types) like this who are not careful with their menstrual blood, or do not roll their pad in toilet paper before throwing it away in the trash (so it eventually opens)). I have one example where the girl changed her pad in the dorm room instead of the bathroom, throwing the pad away in the dorm room. If I were you I would take it up the next level, such as not flushing, etc. :)
 

GiveThanks

God Will Make A Way
Dec 6, 2020
429
348
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#29
Ok obviously this is a secondary issue to my other post and that one is taking my focus at the moment. With all due respect . It’s not just the laundry. I have no problem doing a few tasks in the house including laundry, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping . I used to be a custodian and did it professionally so no it doesn’t bother me to help where needed . In fact I find laundry kinda relaxing after working 9hr days, 5 days a week in the heat of a 95F mechanic shop but when I’m doing 90% of this home cleaning and chores after my work hours , week after week, year after year, I’m weary lol. Not angry, not annoyed. I’m just tired and when I wrote this post originally I was not in a good place mentally. This is a hundred other maybe small insignificant things that just seem to pile up and cause bigger problems. I’m not trying to complain please don’t misunderstand. We’re talking about not only laundry and routine tasks but things that are also greatly unsanitary and a detriment to the families health. I’m surprised we didn’t get rats and other pests the last month to be honest cause she doesn’t scrape her plates/pots/ pans .To the sink they get thrown food scraps and all. And there it collects day after day after day if I let it. Do you know of women who refuse to clean up their own menstrual blood off the toilet seat? That is what I’m talking about. Not just once but time and time again I clean the dried blood off the toilet seat cause she don’t care she will just continue to sit on it and ignore it.She lets her menstrual pads sit and ripen in the bathroom trash I counted about 3 cycles and the trash overfills. She will leave the toilet paper roll empty and not refill it. I could go on though I’d rather not. I really don’t feel I’m making this to be bigger than it is cause it didn’t use to be this way and if using a pet dog as some means of a motivation to get others to contribute more as odd as it may sound to some I’m willing to try it. Worst case I pick up a just little more mess. And I have a little pal to help alleviate my anxiety about this( Miniature dog) not a full size by any means.
Wow you certainly do have a lot on your plate.

Even if you got hired help, that would be a tough job for any one to clean.

So what do you plan on doing?
 
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tstumf

Guest
#30
This is disgusting but may not be too uncommon (I have had a couple of roommates (slob types) like this who are not careful with their menstrual blood, or do not roll their pad in toilet paper before throwing it away in the trash (so it eventually opens)). I have one example where the girl changed her pad in the dorm room instead of the bathroom, throwing the pad away in the dorm room. If I were you I would take it up the next level, such as not flushing, etc. :)
Thanks but I don’t think going tit for tat is the answer. I have a 5 year old who has to be reminded to flush so I think we have that one covered! 😆 It’s just out of Character for her. I know I didn’t marry a slob. In fact while we were dating she told me she was allegedly OCD. I’m just trying to be resilient in the face of adversity and get my head wrapped around this. I’m sure I’m no angel either as far as cleanliness goes due in part to my profession but something is out of balance from where we were as a couple to now and I’m spinning my wheels on how to confront this in a conversation without the theatrics. Im more than willing to confront her about it but I’ve got to understand what I’m possibly up against so I can go into this conversation ready to engage a logical conversation.
 
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tstumf

Guest
#31
Wow you certainly do have a lot on your plate.

Even if you got hired help, that would be a tough job for any one to clean.

So what do you plan on doing?
That is precisely why I made this conversation. Cause really I don’t know what I’m to do or what God would have me do. I mean at times I get a glimmer of hope like this chore chart idea or I actually do see her do a few things which is great and I try to show appreciation for her doing so. It will appear from time to time that things are righting themselves but then just like clockwork we fall back into the same old habits, routines and I’m left picking up the pieces again. So I’m open to suggestions, criticism whatever you have for me really. I’m an open book. Whatever anyone needs to help me with this I will try to answer as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
 
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TheIndianGirl

Guest
#32
Thanks but I don’t think going tit for tat is the answer. I have a 5 year old who has to be reminded to flush so I think we have that one covered! 😆 It’s just out of Character for her. I know I didn’t marry a slob. In fact while we were dating she told me she was allegedly OCD. I’m just trying to be resilient in the face of adversity and get my head wrapped around this. I’m sure I’m no angel either as far as cleanliness goes due in part to my profession but something is out of balance from where we were as a couple to now and I’m spinning my wheels on how to confront this in a conversation without the theatrics. Im more than willing to confront her about it but I’ve got to understand what I’m possibly up against so I can go into this conversation ready to engage a logical conversation.
I think the best option is to be a minimalist. Also, if you have two bathrooms maybe you can each have your own bathroom. Also, each responsible for your own laundry. Push her messiness to her side of the room. :)
 
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tstumf

Guest
#33
I think the best option is to be a minimalist. Also, if you have two bathrooms maybe you can each have your own bathroom. Also, each responsible for your own laundry. Push her messiness to her side of the room. :)
Thankyou for your suggestions. I appreciate it.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,177
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#34
oh ok that is gross I just thought having a dog would just add MORE mess on top of that.
you know whats more messy than menstrual blood.
Dog hair and dog poo.

How do you teach a dog to clean up after themselves? Good question....

I reckon, if you put up a big sign, make it funny, in the toilet/bathroom as a reminder

A clean home is a happy home or something like that.
Put a bin next to the toilet as well so any sanitary items can go straight in (if you have to walk several rooms to dispose of a mess, then its just a hassle). Put the toilet brush next to it.

In the sink, keep the brush and dishcloth on hooks near the sink.
Make the bins easily accessable. Put a sign on the bin, empty when full
Put a sign on the dishwasher CLEAN/DIRTY so you know which cycle its on
Put a sign on the washing machine - feed me dirty clothes
Put a sign on the hamper - hang me out

I dont know if those robot vaccum cleaners are any good, but maybe get those vaccum cleaner salesmen to come in and do a home demo with your wife.

and give her a book by Marie Kondo The life changing magic of tidying up
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,177
113
#35
The Bible does say when there is no oxen the stall is clean... Proverbs 14:4

but through the oxens strength there is abundant harvest


fact of life...humans are messy. When someone is working hard or being creative, they will make a mess.
cleaning up after oneself is not always a natural thing to do...in fact humans are notoriously bad at it.

that is why we often clean up after each other. That is even why, John the baptist came to baptise, because people couldnt just baptise themselves.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,177
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#36
I work in a library, and classes come in, and their teacher will often at the end say it time to tidy up the library and everything is done in a minute.

at lunchtime however, it can be chaos because, the bell goes for eating time, and the children have to go straight there and often dont have time to tidy. They just drop everything and go. some children are diligent and stay behind missing out on some of their eating time to help me tidy. I give them stickers for doing this.

I just give them reminders -tidy up, clean up when I hear the bell and its a simple instruction, cushions away, pens away, books on the shelf.

when I was away for a week sick I came back and the library was abit of a mess. It took me about an hour to put it right again. Now if NOBODY had come in and used it, it would of course always be perfect lol.

Fortunately I have school,cleaners who vacuum the carpets after school. I give them rewards too cos I know they have the whole school to clean and not much time to do it.
 
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tstumf

Guest
#37
I work in a library, and classes come in, and their teacher will often at the end say it time to tidy up the library and everything is done in a minute.

at lunchtime however, it can be chaos because, the bell goes for eating time, and the children have to go straight there and often dont have time to tidy. They just drop everything and go. some children are diligent and stay behind missing out on some of their eating time to help me tidy. I give them stickers for doing this.

I just give them reminders -tidy up, clean up when I hear the bell and its a simple instruction, cushions away, pens away, books on the shelf.

when I was away for a week sick I came back and the library was abit of a mess. It took me about an hour to put it right again. Now if NOBODY had come in and used it, it would of course always be perfect lol.

Fortunately I have school,cleaners who vacuum the carpets after school. I give them rewards too cos I know they have the whole school to clean and not much time to do it.
Thankyou for your suggestions and advice. I greatly appreciate your time and thoughts on this.
 

EternalFire

Well-known member
Jan 3, 2019
642
339
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#38
You and your wife may find this video helpful. One tip Lori Alexander gives in this video is being thankful for things like dirty dishes and dirty laundry. Perhaps a change in perspective will do the both of you some good.

 
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tstumf

Guest
#39
You and your wife may find this video helpful. One tip Lori Alexander gives in this video is being thankful for things like dirty dishes and dirty laundry. Perhaps a change in perspective will do the both of you some good.

And I would love to be able to say she would be open and receptive to this video. I absolutely agree with the video and see no issue myself. But, I know my wife. I know her attitude and opinions really, really well. It would be nothing short of a miracle by Gods absolute grace if she were to be able to sit and watch that video without stomping out the room like a child . Likely if past behavior is an indication of future behavior. if I were to show her this she would take offense. she would get up halfway through and stomp out the door if I were to push the situation she will absolutely tell me as sour as possible “This isn’t 1957 and I’m not June Cleaver!!!” “I refuse to be a Betty homemaker!!!!” she has told me these exact phrases on several conversations where home cleanliness has come up in the past. So normally I just back away from the conversation afterwards and become passive. Which is wrong. I know it’s wrong to be passive about it but I don’t know how to be assertive on the situation without setting my whole world on fire.
 
Mar 4, 2020
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#40
Ok ladies, wives. I have a question. It’s going to be kind of an odd one coming from a man (I know) just hear me out. I have this weird situation happening in my home I’m trying to wrap my head around and I’m asking for wisdom on how I should approach this delicately as the husband so please be patient with me as I try to explain this situation cause I want to reasonably resolve this the best way possible . The backstory is This all started when my wife got into her later stages of pregnancy with our son 5 years ago. Prior to that I believe we had shared the house chores fairly evenly. As she got further along in her pregnancy I volunteered to take more of the burden of cleaning thinking things would at some point return to normal. 5 years later I’m still doing the majority of the house cleaning save for a load of laundry or two which I still have to normally finish for her or it just sits and mildew s in the washer or sits in the laundry basket. We both work full time but she has summers off and yet still nothing gets substantially done until I come home and just start cleaning. I’m not a clean freak to my knowledge. I like thing’s presentable and orderly but I’m not going to expect the faucets to be shined or anything like that. I have pictures I can share to those curious about what she obviously ignores and will walk by a dozen times without lifting a finger to clean it. Warning that they are gross and won’t share unless you absolutely want to see.

I was curious this time and left some things dirty just to see how long it would take. It’s been over a month of no cleaning except dishes etc and the house was so filthy I couldn’t take it anymore when I got home and didn’t say a word and just started cleaning. I’m really concerned at what’s going on. It’s not like we have 3 other kiddos making mess at the same time faster than it can be cleaned. A 5 year old boy is all. She is working on an online master’s degree but is two weeks ahead in her classes yet will still rather sit in her office and continue the classwork rather than observing that maybe the trash is overflowing and falling out of the trash can kind of chores or light cleaning. My son didn’t even want to sit at the kitchen table cause of all the crunchy crumbs and mess left so it hit me a bit hard tonight as she is at Golf league. I once tried to bring this up to her about chores a year ago but It ended in disaster cause I evidently lack the proper way to approach and say things gently ,cause it just caused arguments, she gets defensive immediately and it ruined the entire week for everyone and nothing changed .the “How dare You even mention it I’m a mom and student” kinda stuff. But yet she also gets angry if I come home and start cleaning on my own. 🤷‍♂️I’m a father and a husband at his witts end with this. What am I to do? I have no issue coming home and picking up a broom or doing dishes after supper but when I’m doing 90% of the weekly cleaning and am the only one to lift a finger on the heavy cleaning and actually following through till the job is done kinda cleaning then there has to be a problem somewhere. Open to suggestions and any Christian wisdom. Thanks.
You're both very busy, but the fact remains that there are chores to be done. You don't want to do all of the chores and that's reasonable. It's not going to be easy for either of you, but you can get through it together in order to lighten the overall load for you and her.

That being said, it's time to have the talk again at some point. Just level with her and sympathize with her because not everyone has the same capacity to load balance chores with the other demands in life.

You need to be the leader here.

So my idea is to make a check list of daily chores evenly and fairly divided up. One day you wash the dishes and she unloads the dish washer. One day you take out the trash and she sweeps the floor. One day you clean the table and she vacuums the carpet.

I don't know what your exact situation is, but if it feels like a team effort then maybe there will be more equality? Also, you might want to factor in things she just doesn't like to do such as unloading the dishwasher or taking the garbage out. You can make those two things your permanent duty while she takes permanent station as dishwasher and floor sweeper. I don't know, whatever works best for you two!

Anyway, maybe the most critical part is just having this talk with her. I know she doesn't want to do chores, but that isn't fair. So in my opinion the talk needs to happen regardless of her reaction. Just stay calm and assertive. Don't let it turn into an argument and try not to get offended. She may be depressed or have anxiety?