Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that “mental load” is just another way to moan about normal adult life?

370 replies

ByNimbleCrow · 30/03/2025 10:55

Everyone has responsibilities. Why do women act like keeping track of household tasks is some unique burden?

OP posts:
Odras · 30/03/2025 14:42

Parker231 · 30/03/2025 11:58

Why can’t your DH remember about appointments, sports kit and matches? I assume he has a job where he needs to remember dates, times etc. Are you taking control and assuming he can’t remember?

No I don’t think it can’t do it at all. He’s very resistant to it. He thinks the mental load is merely another task - he says well I remember to put the bins out and remember to buy house insurance or whatever. He’s dismissive of the fact what I do is so much bigger than that.

We are certainly not alone. Most women I know are the family “organisers”

SwoopDog · 30/03/2025 14:44

faerietales · 30/03/2025 13:37

I personally don't think there's anything particularly admirable about remaining married to a man who can't feed his kids, do basic household tasks and who clearly doesn't respect you as a fellow parent or partner.

I also never said men shouldn't take responsibility, but every time a woman chooses to stay married to a man who does jack-shit, she is also part of the problem. She's also teaching her children that useless men who do fuck all are the norm - which just perpetuates the problem.

Should the man do more? Yes, absolutely, but when he doesn't, the woman doesn't need to stay. We're not in the 1950's anymore - we have choices.

Most of these men do pay bills. Take their kids to the park on a sunday morning to give mum 'a break'. They fill up the dishwasher few times a week. Take the bins out. These are the basics. The bare minimum.

But we are talking about mental load here. Not bare minimum. Mental load is much much more than a bare mininum. And just because we can leave an unhappy marriage, it doesn't mean our situation improves. Mums just end up doing it all even more. So its a no-win situation most of the time. The men that actually take on an equal share of running a household and family are like gold dust. Or unicorns.

BasicBrumble · 30/03/2025 14:45

Saying 'it's not the 1950s' may be accurate but the 1950s still casts its shadow.
What I mean by this, is that many of the men women are grumbling about today grew up watching their parents, who were born in the 1950s, model how to behave. They (generalising wildly) watched men be the man of the house, perhaps have a more demanding job, and watched women have more domestic roles and hold everything together.

This is why progress is so slow. Men in their 40s now are remembering fathers who worked hard and wives who picked up the slack. "I work hard so of course you should do more at home" is what is going on in many a head, in vastly simplified terms.

This is why we will say 'oh but he is good, he cooks' for a man who doesn't do much else - because our mothers and their mothers did most of the cooking. We're grateful for the little we get.

As I've said on other threads, maternity leave contributes to this too. We go on maternity leave, think 'well I'm home more so I'll do more' and the balance never goes back to normal after maternity leave (by which point many are working part-time because 'my wages don't cover childcare)'. Mix in the whole history of our parents who did, by and large, have more 'traditional' set ups - and it's very difficult to battle against all of that. Not as individuals, but more widely in society.

It's so easy to say why stay married to someone who isn't equal - but the point is that you don't find that out in its fullest until you have built a life together. And then it is very difficult to disentangle yourself, in a society that is built upon two adults sharing costs!

MoveOverMoon · 30/03/2025 14:51

BasicBrumble · 30/03/2025 14:45

Saying 'it's not the 1950s' may be accurate but the 1950s still casts its shadow.
What I mean by this, is that many of the men women are grumbling about today grew up watching their parents, who were born in the 1950s, model how to behave. They (generalising wildly) watched men be the man of the house, perhaps have a more demanding job, and watched women have more domestic roles and hold everything together.

This is why progress is so slow. Men in their 40s now are remembering fathers who worked hard and wives who picked up the slack. "I work hard so of course you should do more at home" is what is going on in many a head, in vastly simplified terms.

This is why we will say 'oh but he is good, he cooks' for a man who doesn't do much else - because our mothers and their mothers did most of the cooking. We're grateful for the little we get.

As I've said on other threads, maternity leave contributes to this too. We go on maternity leave, think 'well I'm home more so I'll do more' and the balance never goes back to normal after maternity leave (by which point many are working part-time because 'my wages don't cover childcare)'. Mix in the whole history of our parents who did, by and large, have more 'traditional' set ups - and it's very difficult to battle against all of that. Not as individuals, but more widely in society.

It's so easy to say why stay married to someone who isn't equal - but the point is that you don't find that out in its fullest until you have built a life together. And then it is very difficult to disentangle yourself, in a society that is built upon two adults sharing costs!

💯

Maitri108 · 30/03/2025 15:02

IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle · 30/03/2025 14:06

Then sort it out. It strikes me as many woman just prefer moaning about it.

And a lot of it is the ridiculous anyway e.g whinging about having to buy cards and presents for his family. Why on earth do it? I couldn't care less whether or not my husband sends his family presents. Not my problem.

Then who is going to do it? Who is going to meal plan, fill out forms for the children, arrange their activities, book holidays and the other things it takes to run a life?

EarthlyNightshade · 30/03/2025 15:04

IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle · 30/03/2025 14:06

Then sort it out. It strikes me as many woman just prefer moaning about it.

And a lot of it is the ridiculous anyway e.g whinging about having to buy cards and presents for his family. Why on earth do it? I couldn't care less whether or not my husband sends his family presents. Not my problem.

Would you be happy to take your small child to a birthday party without a present?

Parker231 · 30/03/2025 15:23

Maitri108 · 30/03/2025 15:02

Then who is going to do it? Who is going to meal plan, fill out forms for the children, arrange their activities, book holidays and the other things it takes to run a life?

We sit down once a week - review the family and work calendars and agree between us who is doing what and when.
DH was the first contact at the nursery and school as he was more local than my work. He therefore looked after all school paperwork.

aloris · 30/03/2025 15:24

ByNimbleCrow · 30/03/2025 11:19

I get what you’re saying - there are definitely cases where one partner unfairly dumps responsibilities on the other. But isn’t that more of a relationship dynamic issue rather than some inherent gendered struggle? If someone refuses to pull their weight, isn’t the real issue setting boundaries and expectations rather than labelling it as a ‘mental load?’ Also, no, I don’t have kids but does that automatically mean I can’t have an opinion on this?

IMO the problem is with the meaning of "setting boundaries and expectations." Boundaries are basically, "If you do A, I will do B," or, "If you do A, I will not do B." If you keep leaving your dishes in the sink, I will not wash them, I will only wash my own dishes. That sort of thing. You can't just SAY "this is my boundary." You have to DO something to enforce it. But, once you bring children into the mix, it becomes exponentially more difficult for a mother to set boundaries because that impacts the children. "If you refuse to take a day off work to look after our kid when he/she is sick, then I will..." what? If your husband refuses to take days off to look after a sick kid, what exactly are you, the mother, going to do? Go to work anyway, leaving her sick child at home alone? No, obviously that is impossible. Indeed, unthinkable.

Once there are children. a mother's ability to set boundaries is constrained by the needs of her children. If you refuse to clean the house because your husband doesn't do his share, then your children will live in a filthy house. If you refuse to change the baby's diaper because your husband refuses to do his share of diaper changes, then your baby will eventually become ill from the hygiene problem and someone will call CPS, whether the daycare, a neighbor, the hospital to which you take your sick kid. Even if you divorce, as a way to attempt to set boundaries, you cannot force a man to parent. You'll STILL be left doing all the mental load, childcare, possibly (depending on the child, your access to support of your family, etc.) unable to earn enough at your job to support yourself, etc.

I think if you work through the implicit parts of this, you'll see that a huge part of the problem is that many men (not all men, etc. yada yada) just don't care enough about their own children to want them to thrive. They'll put themselves before their kids. Some women do this too. But, on average, more men than women, and fewer women than men.

Parker231 · 30/03/2025 15:24

EarthlyNightshade · 30/03/2025 15:04

Would you be happy to take your small child to a birthday party without a present?

We would bulk buy cards and presents at the start of the school year - chose between DH and I whilst watching television in the evening.

Maitri108 · 30/03/2025 15:25

Parker231 · 30/03/2025 15:23

We sit down once a week - review the family and work calendars and agree between us who is doing what and when.
DH was the first contact at the nursery and school as he was more local than my work. He therefore looked after all school paperwork.

That's good to know. And the women whose partners refuse to lift a finger?

Parker231 · 30/03/2025 15:29

Maitri108 · 30/03/2025 15:25

That's good to know. And the women whose partners refuse to lift a finger?

They wouldn’t be my partner. I feel very sorry for the life they have.

FastFood · 30/03/2025 15:31

Mental load isn't the same as responsibilities.
I'm single, I live alone, all admin responsibilities are on me, yet I don't feel any mental overload, as I'm the only one who can and will do stuff.

I don't have to mentally manage the task list of several people.
I don't have to wait for someone else to notice that something needs done.
If its not done, I won't feel resentment, i will just think "oops, forgot that"

Maitri108 · 30/03/2025 15:31

Parker231 · 30/03/2025 15:29

They wouldn’t be my partner. I feel very sorry for the life they have.

For many who can't afford to divorce, they don't have that choice. That's why they're complaining.

BewilderedPiskie · 30/03/2025 15:34

aloris · 30/03/2025 15:24

IMO the problem is with the meaning of "setting boundaries and expectations." Boundaries are basically, "If you do A, I will do B," or, "If you do A, I will not do B." If you keep leaving your dishes in the sink, I will not wash them, I will only wash my own dishes. That sort of thing. You can't just SAY "this is my boundary." You have to DO something to enforce it. But, once you bring children into the mix, it becomes exponentially more difficult for a mother to set boundaries because that impacts the children. "If you refuse to take a day off work to look after our kid when he/she is sick, then I will..." what? If your husband refuses to take days off to look after a sick kid, what exactly are you, the mother, going to do? Go to work anyway, leaving her sick child at home alone? No, obviously that is impossible. Indeed, unthinkable.

Once there are children. a mother's ability to set boundaries is constrained by the needs of her children. If you refuse to clean the house because your husband doesn't do his share, then your children will live in a filthy house. If you refuse to change the baby's diaper because your husband refuses to do his share of diaper changes, then your baby will eventually become ill from the hygiene problem and someone will call CPS, whether the daycare, a neighbor, the hospital to which you take your sick kid. Even if you divorce, as a way to attempt to set boundaries, you cannot force a man to parent. You'll STILL be left doing all the mental load, childcare, possibly (depending on the child, your access to support of your family, etc.) unable to earn enough at your job to support yourself, etc.

I think if you work through the implicit parts of this, you'll see that a huge part of the problem is that many men (not all men, etc. yada yada) just don't care enough about their own children to want them to thrive. They'll put themselves before their kids. Some women do this too. But, on average, more men than women, and fewer women than men.

Absolutely this.

Milly16 · 30/03/2025 15:35

ByNimbleCrow · 30/03/2025 11:19

I get what you’re saying - there are definitely cases where one partner unfairly dumps responsibilities on the other. But isn’t that more of a relationship dynamic issue rather than some inherent gendered struggle? If someone refuses to pull their weight, isn’t the real issue setting boundaries and expectations rather than labelling it as a ‘mental load?’ Also, no, I don’t have kids but does that automatically mean I can’t have an opinion on this?

If you don't have kids then the mental load isn't really a thing. So it makes sense that you're baffled

Sofiewoo · 30/03/2025 15:36

ByNimbleCrow · 30/03/2025 10:55

Everyone has responsibilities. Why do women act like keeping track of household tasks is some unique burden?

Well since you don’t have kids your mental load is hugely reduced compared to a woman with several kids, not sure why that’s hard for you to understand?

TheHerboriste · 30/03/2025 15:41

TheCurious0range · 30/03/2025 10:56

It's only a burden when you are expected to do all of it for the family without the other adult pulling their weight

Why be with such a person? We all have free choice of partner.

TheHerboriste · 30/03/2025 15:42

Milly16 · 30/03/2025 15:35

If you don't have kids then the mental load isn't really a thing. So it makes sense that you're baffled

Most ridiculous comment of the day.

Newsflash: childfree people are caregivers, too.

223Sunshine · 30/03/2025 15:50

ByNimbleCrow · 30/03/2025 11:19

I get what you’re saying - there are definitely cases where one partner unfairly dumps responsibilities on the other. But isn’t that more of a relationship dynamic issue rather than some inherent gendered struggle? If someone refuses to pull their weight, isn’t the real issue setting boundaries and expectations rather than labelling it as a ‘mental load?’ Also, no, I don’t have kids but does that automatically mean I can’t have an opinion on this?

@ByNimbleCrow the question of the mental load only arises when you have children. It really isn't a thing before then (and if it is, you're a fool with a simple recourse).

Birthing a child, caring for a baby, maternity leave - all this will change your life and outlook. Babies inherently need their mothers when they're born. After the first few weeks, dad goes to work and is out the house 60 hours a week. You become the expert on the baby, on top of the fact that you're the only one that can feed him anyway. You're home, so you may as well do some laundry and food shop. You spend all day with baby so you may as well buy his clothes, know what nappies he needs, when you run out of nappy cream, you're there for his first meals when weaning so you know what foods he prefers etc.

By the time you finish breastfeeding and go back to work, these roles are entrenched.

Yeah, I could choose to go back to work when baby is 6 weeks and for dad to stay home. But it's taken me 7 months to start to recover physically from pregnancy and birth injuries and pumping milk while working full time would be incredibly difficult, so me going back to work early is still harder purely because I'm a woman.

And that all makes it inherently a gender issue, not just a relationship issue. The majority of women out there are not talking nonsense.

If you're in a good marriage with a good man, it should slowly go back to 50/50 as children become older.

But setting boundaries is incredibly difficult as it affects your child's wellbeing. So you carry on, as your instinct to put your child first does not go away. Sure, you can divorce. But I don't know many women who want to be away from their child for significant amounts of time, especially if they spend that time with someone who has proven himself to not put the children first already!

3teens2cats · 30/03/2025 15:54

Even if you split the physical tasks 50/50, it's the remembering that often falls to one person. It's great that dh will cook but I have to choose it and write the shopping list. It's great that he puts the bins out but I have to tell him it's bin week. He will pick up ds but I need to tell him what time. The mental load is about just that, the thinking and remembering for everyone in the household.

Ratisshortforratthew · 30/03/2025 16:00

EasternEcho · 30/03/2025 13:09

Yes, "that's just how it is" is precisely the problem. If you have any magical solutions to a problem that societies don't seem to have solved the world over, let's hear it.

Edited

Just because something is happening as a trend in society doesn’t mean you have to repeat it in your personal life. The personal is political. The more women resist and say fuck this shit, make their expectations clear at the start of relationships and don’t take on their partner’s stuff, and leave relationships that don’t meet their minimum requirements, the more wider culture will start to change. There also needs to be longer paternity leaves and enforced SPL to get men doing their bit right from the moment a baby is born, like Scandinavia.

DecafDodger · 30/03/2025 16:02

TheHerboriste · 30/03/2025 15:41

Why be with such a person? We all have free choice of partner.

Unsurprisingly, you can only fully see how a person behaves as a parent once they actually are a parent.. Or even if some women were naive and hoped that fatherhood will change their bone idle uncaring partner - yes ok, should have chosen better, your own fault - but should they not be allowed to even complain about their life?

Parker231 · 30/03/2025 16:02

3teens2cats · 30/03/2025 15:54

Even if you split the physical tasks 50/50, it's the remembering that often falls to one person. It's great that dh will cook but I have to choose it and write the shopping list. It's great that he puts the bins out but I have to tell him it's bin week. He will pick up ds but I need to tell him what time. The mental load is about just that, the thinking and remembering for everyone in the household.

Why can’t he remember bin day -write an online shopping list/go to the supermarket? If he can’t remember what time to collect your DC, is he unable to remember the time to go to work, attend a meeting? Sounds like he unemployable?

TheHerboriste · 30/03/2025 16:04

Ratisshortforratthew · 30/03/2025 16:00

Just because something is happening as a trend in society doesn’t mean you have to repeat it in your personal life. The personal is political. The more women resist and say fuck this shit, make their expectations clear at the start of relationships and don’t take on their partner’s stuff, and leave relationships that don’t meet their minimum requirements, the more wider culture will start to change. There also needs to be longer paternity leaves and enforced SPL to get men doing their bit right from the moment a baby is born, like Scandinavia.

Very well said.

”Society” never made me accept a shitty partner.

Unfortunately no matter how nasty, lowdown and repulsive the man, there is always some lower woman who will service their sexual wants, be their skivvy, fork over her money and bear their offspring.

So where’s the incentive for them to change?

DelphiniumHolly · 30/03/2025 16:10

223Sunshine · 30/03/2025 15:50

@ByNimbleCrow the question of the mental load only arises when you have children. It really isn't a thing before then (and if it is, you're a fool with a simple recourse).

Birthing a child, caring for a baby, maternity leave - all this will change your life and outlook. Babies inherently need their mothers when they're born. After the first few weeks, dad goes to work and is out the house 60 hours a week. You become the expert on the baby, on top of the fact that you're the only one that can feed him anyway. You're home, so you may as well do some laundry and food shop. You spend all day with baby so you may as well buy his clothes, know what nappies he needs, when you run out of nappy cream, you're there for his first meals when weaning so you know what foods he prefers etc.

By the time you finish breastfeeding and go back to work, these roles are entrenched.

Yeah, I could choose to go back to work when baby is 6 weeks and for dad to stay home. But it's taken me 7 months to start to recover physically from pregnancy and birth injuries and pumping milk while working full time would be incredibly difficult, so me going back to work early is still harder purely because I'm a woman.

And that all makes it inherently a gender issue, not just a relationship issue. The majority of women out there are not talking nonsense.

If you're in a good marriage with a good man, it should slowly go back to 50/50 as children become older.

But setting boundaries is incredibly difficult as it affects your child's wellbeing. So you carry on, as your instinct to put your child first does not go away. Sure, you can divorce. But I don't know many women who want to be away from their child for significant amounts of time, especially if they spend that time with someone who has proven himself to not put the children first already!

This absolutely nails it. The exact situation a lot of women are in. It’s not as simple a just leaving .