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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think I'm doing an unfair share of the housework? (male)

138 replies

Unjeffeson · 09/12/2025 17:27

Hi all, looking for unbiased outside perspective.

I (m40) live with my wife (f40), DD (3) and dog (f5).

My wife has been asking for me to do progressively more of the household tasks over the last 2 years, and I'm starting to feel a bit overwhelmed.

Currently my pile is as follows:

  • All meals
  • All meal cleanups and dishes and kitchen cleaning
  • All laundry and putting away clothes
  • All dog walks (twice daily plus evening poo run)
  • All bathtimes
  • All overnight child getups (typically 2/3 of nights - wife sleeps through these)
  • All nursery drop-offs and pickups, including prepping her bag
  • All household maintenance (anything physical)
  • All grocery shops
  • Management of our financial spreadsheet
  • Making sure plans go into our shared diary
  • Usual man-column tasks like garbage, garden care, car care etc.

In addition I run my own small business and make around 70% of our income, so have the responsibility of not messing that up.

I've recently had an ADHD diagnosis which, while in itself doesn't change much, it's confirmed that I'm quite likely to struggle with too many responsibilities and organisation.

My wife does the other stuff. This includes admittedly high cognitive load stuff like buying all DD's clothes and toys (almost all online), organising medical and vet appointments, the 3 weekly classes DD does, settling her at bedtime, and organising our bi-weekly cleaner. She also looks after our daughter on Fridays, but this is entirely out of choice as we'd be a little financially better off if she went to nursery and my wife worked. (We split childcare 50-50 otherwise).

The problem is that my wife says she feels stressed at work and wants me to take on some more stuff to help her out. But I feel like my schedule is already super crammed and I'm not able to give the attention to my work that I'd like. I've got the chance to take on an extra client as well but she doesn't seem that interested in the extra money, just expresses concern about workload.

She also wants another kid and since she had an early miscarriage earlier this year (which did affect her mentally) she's very focused on fertility at the moment.
I am scared as to how another baby can fit into our world as I don't think I have the bandwidth for much more, and I'll need to if she's got a newborn.

So AIBU to think she needs to toughen up a little bit and split the work more fairly? Or perhaps go back to work 5 days to allow her more work focus time (her 4 day schedule is more like 4.5+ days of work)? I'm aware of the toll miscarriage can have and I haven't pushed back much so far, but it's frustrating me that her contribution to the household seems to be largely doing tasks on her phone and playing with our kid.

OP posts:
Bjorkdidit · 10/12/2025 09:20

WelshRabBite · 10/12/2025 08:36

What’s your wife’s working day like?

For example, if she leaves the house at 6am for a two hour commute and returns at 8pm, I can see why you’re doing the nursery runs and cooking dinner, but if she’s doing a standard 9-5, and work is 5 mins walk away, the split does seem uneven.

But the answer to that is she needs to adjust her working hours, not ask the OP to do more.

Doing little or nothing at home except bits of fun stuff is not acceptable, especially when both parents work full time.

Yamahahaha · 10/12/2025 09:21

PinkElephants356 · 09/12/2025 18:20

You say you do the meals and the shopping, can I ask who plans the meals and thinks about when to buy ingredients and what meal works alongside all your busy calendars?

Does she give you a list of food to buy when you do the food shop and does she plan when the food shop gets done and from what shop etc.?

Who plans when laundry/ cleaning is done?

The plans in the diary is this input into a diary or is this actually planning the contents of the diary?

Who does the cleaning? Who sorts out banking, insurance, utilities and all those things? Who plans holidays and keeping in touch with family and friends? Who organises Christmas?

Presumably the bi-weekly cleaner does the cleaning.

Lazygardener · 10/12/2025 09:21

Yes, you do seem to have drawn the short straw. And as for buying presents online etc representing a ‘high cognitive load’, with respect, that’s nonsense. All the things you list are just normal activities.

Bungle2168 · 10/12/2025 09:23

What would happen if you refused to do some of these tasks?

sashh · 10/12/2025 09:24

So your wife does:

Buying all clothes and toys for your child, that means knowing when she has outgrown something and if she needs new shoes. Making sure the clothes are suitable for the time of year / weather

Organising vet visits taking in to account who is around on which day
Organising Dr appointments (does she do that for you?)
Organising vaccines for DD

Does she just organise the classes or does she take DD and stay with her?

Settles your DD at night
Has DD for a day on her own - what do they do together? Is that something she organises as well?

Who buys / sends birthday and Xmas cards?
Who remembers family birthdays / events?

Yes you are doing a lot compared to a lot of men but she is taking on the mental load.

BeaRightThere · 10/12/2025 09:26

44PumpLane · 10/12/2025 08:41

Could you sit down and do the "Fair Play" deck/book?

I've seen it mentioned on here before and I think (not 100% certain) that it lays out all possible physical and mental tasks and you then assign who you think is completing each of these tasks in your household (if applicable) which then gives you the chance to understand what you each believe that you are doing versus what you each believe your partner is doing.

It might be that your wife thinks she's doing loads and that you're not doing much, and that by having it laid out there it will be more obvious. There is also the element of frequency - the task of buying the children's winter clothes is not the same as being responsible for 3 meals a day, the meals are multiple times a day every day. The winter clothing can be a once per year thing.

Then you'd discuss any inequities and decide how you're going to even up the deck.

There's been a lot of recent discussion about this deck and whether or not it's useful. It may be helpful in this situation but it's been pointed out a lot that the typical "wife" tasks are broken down in granular detail while the "male" tasks get one or two cards such as "home maintenance" and "DIY" which is obviously unfair.

BeaRightThere · 10/12/2025 09:29

sashh · 10/12/2025 09:24

So your wife does:

Buying all clothes and toys for your child, that means knowing when she has outgrown something and if she needs new shoes. Making sure the clothes are suitable for the time of year / weather

Organising vet visits taking in to account who is around on which day
Organising Dr appointments (does she do that for you?)
Organising vaccines for DD

Does she just organise the classes or does she take DD and stay with her?

Settles your DD at night
Has DD for a day on her own - what do they do together? Is that something she organises as well?

Who buys / sends birthday and Xmas cards?
Who remembers family birthdays / events?

Yes you are doing a lot compared to a lot of men but she is taking on the mental load.

None of this is onerous and you know it. It's farcical to pretend it is.

Mokeytree · 10/12/2025 09:32

sashh · 10/12/2025 09:24

So your wife does:

Buying all clothes and toys for your child, that means knowing when she has outgrown something and if she needs new shoes. Making sure the clothes are suitable for the time of year / weather

Organising vet visits taking in to account who is around on which day
Organising Dr appointments (does she do that for you?)
Organising vaccines for DD

Does she just organise the classes or does she take DD and stay with her?

Settles your DD at night
Has DD for a day on her own - what do they do together? Is that something she organises as well?

Who buys / sends birthday and Xmas cards?
Who remembers family birthdays / events?

Yes you are doing a lot compared to a lot of men but she is taking on the mental load.

Oh come on!
Talk about exaggerating the work involved there.

He's already said gift buying is split.

The only valid point there is does she stay for her daughters classes and if so how many hours does that take a week. Though I would then use that time to do the clothes buying at least.

nightmarepickle2025 · 10/12/2025 09:34

If someone else did all the pick ups, food shopping, laundry and cooking in my house I’d have so much free time I wouldn’t know what to do with myself… (and I work full time).

Mokeytree · 10/12/2025 09:38

Organising vet visits taking in to account who is around on which day
Organising Dr appointments (does she do that for you?)
Organising vaccines for DD

Unless there are medical issues this takes approximately 10 minutes a year.
I can't remember the last time anyone in my family had a doctors appointment. Vaccines are not very frequent. Vets appointments not frequent.

PinkElephants356 · 10/12/2025 09:44

lazyarse123 · 09/12/2025 21:17

He does the shopping and cooking and clearing up afterwards. You're not seriously suggesting that his wife is doing the planning. I doubt that she is and if she is it's not exactly erroneous.
Who in there right mind plans laundry and cleaning. It sounds like op just gets on and does it.
His wife is seriously taking the piss.

I’m not saying the tasks are equal here, but I think the unquantifiable, non-tangible things that just get done and thought about are often overlooked.

Overall it sounds like one of them needs to take a step back or cut something out because both aren’t coping. It’s easier said than done though!

SJone0101 · 10/12/2025 09:46

I love this for your wife.

Long may it continue for her.

BeaRightThere · 10/12/2025 09:48

SJone0101 · 10/12/2025 09:46

I love this for your wife.

Long may it continue for her.

If it's unfair when it's happening to a woman it's equally unfair when it happens to man.

SJone0101 · 10/12/2025 09:52

BeaRightThere · 10/12/2025 09:48

If it's unfair when it's happening to a woman it's equally unfair when it happens to man.

I am actually a misandrist, so I absolutely think when we see this type of situation, it is wonderful.

AnotherDayDawns · 10/12/2025 09:53

Your wife sounds really lazy. She doesn't do ANY cooking or ANY laundry? Don't have another child with her unless things change.

BeaRightThere · 10/12/2025 10:01

SJone0101 · 10/12/2025 09:52

I am actually a misandrist, so I absolutely think when we see this type of situation, it is wonderful.

Okay well you're not someone I wish to engage with then. You sound awful. Enjoy your hate.

DuchessDandelion · 10/12/2025 10:03

She doesn't just sit around, it's more that she feels overwhelmed doing the things she has taken on. She's practically on her knees at the end of each Friday when she has the kid.

This is key, I think. Lots of focus on a numerical split of tasks between you both but the point here is that she's really struggling. You also mention a recent miscarriage, which of course will have affected you as well.

It's not unusual for one half of a couple to step up and take on more responsibility when the other isn't able to. This is what partnership is.

It's all very well saying that yes, looking at the list you've given, the split of domestic labour does seem unfair, but I suspect simply telling her to do more isn't the answer. You need a broader and mutually kind discussion.

Have you come across mental load?
Take a look at: https://english.emmaclit.com/2017/05/20/you-shouldve-asked/

For all those about to jump on me, note I've not suggested that you're complaining about having to pull your weight and I'm not about to either, but it's worth you exploring with your wife how much unseen labour she does. There are enough details in your post to suggest that there's more going on here.

This is especially true if she cares for, or has additional responsibilities and worries for, other family members such as a parent.

It would also benefit both of you for you to understand why she needs to do what you see as "unnecessary" errands. Like new shoes for your daughter - is your wife planning ahead here? Is she anxious about something?

For all those about to jump on me, note I've not suggested that you're complaining about having to pull your weight and I'm not about to either, but it's worth you exploring with your wife how much unseen labour she does. There are enough details in your post to suggest that there's more going on here.

Don't write off the possibility that your wife may also be neuordivergent - birds of a feather flock together and people who are neurodivergent often end up in friendships and relationships with other neurodivergent people. Neurodivergency on her part may mean she's overwhelmed from masking or suffering burnout. All forms of neurodivergency can make one more sensitive to sensory input and effect cognitive processing.

If I'm covering all possibilities in this post, then I should also ask - as someone else has done - was the domestic load unfairly split in your favour before you started taking on more and more? Not because of tit for tat, but because the history of your relationship could provide important context.

Finally, I will return to her mental health (and yours). In your own words she's "on her knees by the end of the week" and struggles to cope with what she does - this doesn't sound like someone who can easily take on more domestic labour right now.

She doesnt need to be neurodivergent to struggle with day to day tasks if her mental health is poor. Or her physical health!

If she's feeling emotionally isolated and unsupported, then that could be a driver behind her need for you to take on as much as you do.

I also think that seeing her decision to not work on Fridays may be unfair, it might not be a 'lifestyle choice' as you put it but because she (a) believes it's best for your daughter (b) is trying to stay afloat with her mental health and working an extra day will make this worse

None of this is to say that it's fair or right you doing so much.

You've both lost a baby and I'm really very sorry. How are you?

Those saying it doesn't like the right time to bring another baby into your life have a point, but she's a grieving mum and most women here will recognise the primal drive for children that some women experience on some level.

How has your wife been since the miscarriage? Did anything change after this?

What is your daughter like to parent? How easy does your wife find your daughter to parent? Who does your daughter gravitate most to? Not just for play, but when she's upset or frustrated.

It would be very easy to come here and reply that she's taking you for a ride or why shouldn't you do as much as you do given that women usually juggle all that and more, but I really do think there's more to unpick here.

I think there are unmet needs that, unless understood, could reallt end up damaging your relationship and love for each other.

Mutual love and understanding seems to be what's needed and some non-judgemental discussions to understand the struggles you're both experiencing, so that you can find a way to support each other better emotionally and practically.

MentalLoad_cover.jpg

You should’ve asked

Here is the english version of my now famous “Fallait demander” ; now available as a book with other stories : Orders available here or here or here ^_^ Thanks Una from unadtranslation.…

https://english.emmaclit.com/2017/05/20/you-shouldve-asked/

CarefulN0w · 10/12/2025 10:04

I still haven’t seen the answers to how many hours your wife is out of the house for work, and whether she stays for your DD’s classes. Without that information it’s hard to judge who is being unreasonable, or indeed if it is a tale of two busy stressed parents who are simply not communicating well.

It sounds like you are doing a lot, but your wife can’t do stuff if she’s physically not there.

Are the classes essential? At 3 I would suggest possibly not, but if you both think they are important then can you take it on turns to take DD whilst the other one cooks dinner and puts a laundry load on.

Re the ADHD - the question about whether your wife is ND is relevant to your communication here and how you can make it work together. For yourself, what strategies and treatment are you trying? A recent diagnosis is a lot to take on board, but it’s more than a label. The right strategies and interventions can help you with your executive function, communication and emotional regulation.

Inahuff · 10/12/2025 10:09

I don't get how you've been able to list your "pile" it doesn't work like that in our house. DH works, I do most of the housework. He does cooking and some cleaning on a Sunday. He does bits and bobs around the house the rest of the time. If we're both working, we both just do what needs done when it's needs done. Divide and conquer. If it was yesterday other way round, I'm sure we'd be telling your wife to get you told to help out more so...yeah...she needs to help out more. Or change jobs.

BMW6 · 10/12/2025 10:12

She's taking the piss OP. You are doing way more than 1/2.

MintDog · 10/12/2025 10:17

Well. Do not have another child. That stood out for me massively!

I do everything you do AND do what your wife does - and I don't moan about it. Also have a disabled child. Your wife sounds hard work.

Mokeytree · 10/12/2025 10:18

DuchessDandelion · 10/12/2025 10:03

She doesn't just sit around, it's more that she feels overwhelmed doing the things she has taken on. She's practically on her knees at the end of each Friday when she has the kid.

This is key, I think. Lots of focus on a numerical split of tasks between you both but the point here is that she's really struggling. You also mention a recent miscarriage, which of course will have affected you as well.

It's not unusual for one half of a couple to step up and take on more responsibility when the other isn't able to. This is what partnership is.

It's all very well saying that yes, looking at the list you've given, the split of domestic labour does seem unfair, but I suspect simply telling her to do more isn't the answer. You need a broader and mutually kind discussion.

Have you come across mental load?
Take a look at: https://english.emmaclit.com/2017/05/20/you-shouldve-asked/

For all those about to jump on me, note I've not suggested that you're complaining about having to pull your weight and I'm not about to either, but it's worth you exploring with your wife how much unseen labour she does. There are enough details in your post to suggest that there's more going on here.

This is especially true if she cares for, or has additional responsibilities and worries for, other family members such as a parent.

It would also benefit both of you for you to understand why she needs to do what you see as "unnecessary" errands. Like new shoes for your daughter - is your wife planning ahead here? Is she anxious about something?

For all those about to jump on me, note I've not suggested that you're complaining about having to pull your weight and I'm not about to either, but it's worth you exploring with your wife how much unseen labour she does. There are enough details in your post to suggest that there's more going on here.

Don't write off the possibility that your wife may also be neuordivergent - birds of a feather flock together and people who are neurodivergent often end up in friendships and relationships with other neurodivergent people. Neurodivergency on her part may mean she's overwhelmed from masking or suffering burnout. All forms of neurodivergency can make one more sensitive to sensory input and effect cognitive processing.

If I'm covering all possibilities in this post, then I should also ask - as someone else has done - was the domestic load unfairly split in your favour before you started taking on more and more? Not because of tit for tat, but because the history of your relationship could provide important context.

Finally, I will return to her mental health (and yours). In your own words she's "on her knees by the end of the week" and struggles to cope with what she does - this doesn't sound like someone who can easily take on more domestic labour right now.

She doesnt need to be neurodivergent to struggle with day to day tasks if her mental health is poor. Or her physical health!

If she's feeling emotionally isolated and unsupported, then that could be a driver behind her need for you to take on as much as you do.

I also think that seeing her decision to not work on Fridays may be unfair, it might not be a 'lifestyle choice' as you put it but because she (a) believes it's best for your daughter (b) is trying to stay afloat with her mental health and working an extra day will make this worse

None of this is to say that it's fair or right you doing so much.

You've both lost a baby and I'm really very sorry. How are you?

Those saying it doesn't like the right time to bring another baby into your life have a point, but she's a grieving mum and most women here will recognise the primal drive for children that some women experience on some level.

How has your wife been since the miscarriage? Did anything change after this?

What is your daughter like to parent? How easy does your wife find your daughter to parent? Who does your daughter gravitate most to? Not just for play, but when she's upset or frustrated.

It would be very easy to come here and reply that she's taking you for a ride or why shouldn't you do as much as you do given that women usually juggle all that and more, but I really do think there's more to unpick here.

I think there are unmet needs that, unless understood, could reallt end up damaging your relationship and love for each other.

Mutual love and understanding seems to be what's needed and some non-judgemental discussions to understand the struggles you're both experiencing, so that you can find a way to support each other better emotionally and practically.

This is a good post.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 10/12/2025 10:22

Lemonysnickety · 10/12/2025 08:30

On the face of your perspective your wife is not remotely pulling her weight in your relationship. There is literally no way I would consider having another child unless she starts to take on some actually responsibility in the partnership.

She honestly sounds like a spoilt child from the way you are writing about her obviously I don’t know her and your perspective could be completely skewed but on the face of it she is not a good one.

The getting extra shoes and a new outfit are fun things not necessary jobs either.

She needs a slave not a partner.

This. With bells on.

If she's stressed already doing this little then she's either bone idle, has medical needs and either way the workload of another child will fall to you.

Nevermind17 · 10/12/2025 10:24

Is the miscarriage a big factor? Did she do more before then? She sounds overwhelmed and she isn’t coping, despite minimal chores. I suspect that she’s struggling with her mental health and needs some counselling. Pushing her to do more might make things worse, but you can’t continue doing everything and she needs to understand this.

If she’s always been this way she just sounds lazy and she’s taking the piss.

Lurker85 · 10/12/2025 10:26

IsThisTheWaytoSlamMyPillow · 10/12/2025 08:16

If this was the other way round, and a wife was doing all this on top of her job, everyone would say “he’s abusing you. He needs to step up…” and on and on.

This is either a wife who is completely taking the piss, or it’s a reverse.

@Unjeffeson- if she’s taking the piss it needs sorting. All tasks 50-50. If she can’t cope with her job she needs to find a different one.

If it’s a reverse - same advice. He’s taking the piss.

This! The double standards on here is shocking. The amount of posts where women say the same and everyone calls it abuse, but if it’s a man people are saying “I’d like to hear her side of the story” 🙄

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