Please or to access all these features

Site stuff

Join our Innovation Panel to try new features early and help make Mumsnet better.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Chores: the truth about who does what

52 replies

KateSMumsnet · 06/10/2014 12:11

Like it or not, household chores are an inevitable part of life (unless you have a cleaner, but that's a entirely different thread). We asked 1,000 working mothers how household tasks were managed in their homes, and the results show that for the most part, women still pick up the bulk of the domestic work, while men are involved in the aspects that are traditionally seen as masculine.

Our results show that for 69% of households, DIY task are done by men, while 71% of women take care of the weekly clean. However, 50% of working mums are responsible for managing the family budget, with only 35% of families sharing the task.

Interestingly, 66% of our sample said they wouldn't want their partner to do more around the house despite this inequality.

What do you think of the results? Do they reflect how things are in your own home? Would you make any changes the division of labour within your family?

OP posts:
Pointlessfan · 06/10/2014 15:30

DH does loads of the housework eg. Cleaning bathroom, vacuuming etc. However, I tend to do tidying/putting away type jobs and I know when DD starts school I'll sort out her bag and so on. This isn't because of any reluctance on his part but because I'm a bit of a control freak. I know lots of female friends who feel the same - we just think nobody else can remember everything and do those things properly!
Looking at the detailed breakdown of tasks it does seem that men do some of the more unpleasant tasks eg putting out bins. I admit I never do this and would rather do just about any household task instead. I'm always joking to DH that this is a manly job!
Not really surprised by the results though.

LineRunner · 06/10/2014 15:22

I would like to know exactly why 66% of your respondents said they wouldn't want their partner to do more around the house. What reasons did they give?

Swipe left for the next trending thread