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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to not want to be the only one who does the dinner everynight!

228 replies

Hai1988 · 28/05/2010 16:32

Basicly as i said above, even on DH days off and holidays I am always the one who does it!
and y does he always want feeding when ive just sat down or in the middle of something!!
ITS like having 2 4 year olds in the house sometimes

Does ne one else have this problem, living wit a man who still thinks its the stone age and women cook and man works {shock]

BTW i found out on a recent holiday with the fil that he has these same views on life so ive worked out where its come from {angry]

OP posts:
Romanarama · 29/05/2010 20:02

foureleven but the problem is when they're just things that one person does, and the other one doesn't do any of them. That means only one person has any real leisure time. Looking after a small child takes nearly all the day. Some of that can be pleasant and fun, but some of work in an office and in other places can be pleasant and fun.

pickupyourpants your attitude is desperately unfortunate. How miserable to have women talking about women's moral obligation to be unpaid domestic servants. You are very judgmental. Where did you get the idea that I sit around or am lazy? What do you think you know about me and my relationship? Does the fact that I've earned much more than my husband over the 11 years of our relationship until last September make a difference to your view? I could as easily say that I'm paying the cleaner as that my dh is paying the cleaner as we view all of our income and assets as shared, and take all decisions, financial and otherwise, together. Provision of domestic services is not my role here or anywhere.

foureleven · 29/05/2010 20:03

Ok, youre coming form a place I dont know Dittany.

I have always read your posts with great interests as a fellow feminist. I would never want to keep a woman down.

But im saddened by your 'men never do this' comment. I creates a divide between men and women. ALL men dont do anything... same as ALL women arent the same.

I do less homework than my DP by miles... because he's at home more. If I was there id do it.. not because of my ownership of a vagina.

By putting yourslef in a position where you do less 'work' than a man.. be it house work, childcare, running a hedge fund.. you are making yourself inferior. And so doing hobbies and social activities while your husband works is supporting sexism.

ImSoNotTelling · 29/05/2010 20:05

She's not though.

She's got a few hours between the school runs which are free and involve taking the dog out (which someone has to do). If they can afford it and are happy then why not.

This assumption that working is automatically onerous is odd as well. Some people love working and would take it over dog walking and going to coffee shops any day of the week

When will we learn to relax about otehr people's lives? Saying roman is oppressing women by enjoying a lifestyle that suits her and her family... It doesn't feel right to me.

dittany · 29/05/2010 20:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Romanarama · 29/05/2010 20:17

I not surprisingly agree with Imsonottelling, but might add that the only reason I'm not working is because I moved to a different country to allow dh to take up a professional opportunity, and it's taken me up until now - next week, hooray! - to find a new job that fits my career plans. I like my career, it's hugely interesting and fun and brings me into contact with lots of amazing people. I also like the professional recognition, the independent life outside the home, the salary, the benefits including professional training, pension, salary sacrifice scheme that I will use to buy a new bike etc. I definitely prefer ft employment to spending the day going out for coffee or whatever. I, however, prefer all of that stuff to cleaning bathrooms and ironing.

But that's actually beside the point. What I mean is that domestic work is essential and has a value. It's not something that you just have to do because you are a woman. It would be unusual to find a payable childcare service that includes cleaning and cooking for the price. Being at home looking after a child doesn't mean that you should accept responsibility for every singe domestic task 24/7. And marriage is a partnership of equals. I don't feel like a servant and my husband doesn't feel like I'm a servant either. We make joint decisions that suit us. The reason I harp on about this particular point is that the whole thread seems to be about the problem of a man treating his wife like a servant.

I'm amazed that people here are so down on free time. Why is reading something 'flaky'. Don't you want to have more free time to do things you like? I would like to make more free time for my husband to do things he likes too. What's with the martyrdom?

By the way I'm an arch feminist, so tickled with the idea that I'm oppressing women by suggesting they don't do housework

Romanarama · 29/05/2010 20:20

Dittany exactly, power. If you feel degraded and see no money for any of your effort so have no freedom to pursue your goals then you have no power.

foureleven · 29/05/2010 20:33

Of course id like more down time..so would my partner but someone has to work... Why should it be him..?

Its not about being a women, I wouldnt feel like I was being fair to him to be reading a good book while he earns..

So whats this 'arch' feminism? Is there some kind of annual sit in where we say 'no, im not doing anything because you are only asking me to do it because im a woman. How dare you not pay a cleaner, pay my gym membership, cook my dinner, do my washing,let me read when I want to, give me time to see my friends for coffee when I want... I am Woman! I was the one around to pick DD up from school today and now I am shattered. I have earned the right to sit on my arse...

If I worked and DP didnt Id expect him to busy himself all day in some way that is productive.. I rarely consider which one of us is male and which is female...

foureleven · 29/05/2010 20:35

Im an adult not a child... my down time's at the weekend.

undercovamutha · 29/05/2010 20:39

If I worked f/t, I would expect DH to keep on top of the housework. However, deep down I know he wouldn't, and that is one of the key reasons that he works f/t and I work p/t.

Similarly, if DH worked p/t and went round to friends houses for coffee and chats a few afternoons a week, and sat in soft-play for hours eating large cakes, I would probably whinge at him for not getting the housework done, or feel jealous that I was at work and he wasn't!!!! But DH would never resent me stuffing my face with cakes relaxing with friends whilst he worked. This is why he works f/t and I work p/t!!!

PickUpYourPants · 29/05/2010 20:47

Romanarama - I am not really sure your view of life is helping hai at all. However I am too mature to be dragged into a slanging match with you or anyone else.

Hai your thread has been hijacked by those with strong views that they are disguising as feminism.

If you want to go back to your original question and want anymore comments I suggest you ask again.

Romanarama · 29/05/2010 20:51

how can anyone think that saying 'no, im not doing anything because you are only asking me to do it because im a woman. How dare you not pay a cleaner, pay my gym membership, cook my dinner, do my washing,let me read when I want to, give me time to see my friends for coffee when I want... I am Woman! I was the one around to pick DD up from school today and now I am shattered. I have earned the right to sit on my arse...' has anything to do with feminism?

Feminism is many things, but not that. Feminism is about things like recognizing the value of all women's work to the economy, including raising human capital - aka childcare, and provision of other domestic services allowing men to earn money in paid jobs. This of course could apply equally to men doing domestic work and childcare, but they don't do this kind of unpaid or low paid work in the same numbers as women, which is why it is a feminist issue.

If you, for example, spend 8 hours per day doing general household tasks and looking after children and want to spend the other hours doing whatever you want, then that's the same as your husband, for example, spending 8 hours per day in an office and wanting to spend the rest of the time watching Top Gear. Either you divvy up the rest or agree to pay someone else to do it. If you, for example, do it all and work twice as many hours as your husband, enjoying 1/2 as much leisure, then feminism has an issue to discuss. And if on top of that you have less money to spend and own fewer assets, because the family income is perceived, legally or by the family, as belonging to the person who is in paid employment, then feminism has another issue to deal with. The truth of the world is that power and money are largely in men's hands for a number of reasons including the above.

foureleven · 29/05/2010 20:54

Romanarama - re your last post. Agreed. IF it took 8 hours a day to do housework for a family with one child of nursery/school age...

Romanarama · 29/05/2010 20:54

Hai I hope that there is something in this to reassure you that you are quite right, and to encourage you to stick up for yourself. Good luck!

ImSoNotTelling · 29/05/2010 21:04

I'm at home with the kids and so that's 7am til 7pm, with any getting up the night, + housework etc.

DH work is 8 hours including an hour for lunch.

foureleven actually tihnking about it roman broke down the day to show that she does do more than 8 hours work.

pickupyourpants I would like to point out that you were the person who responded to a perfectly normal post from roman by saying to her that she was lazy and that you despised her. Oh yes and that she gave women a bad name. Strong words, I feel. If anyone derailed this it is you, a bit rich to complain that the thread has been hijacked

foureleven · 29/05/2010 21:16

Really - "Domestic work can easily take much longer than the hours spent in a paid job. I spend 1hr in the morning getting the kids and breakfast etc, plus 45 minutes taking them to school. At least an hour a day walking the dog. I leave at 3 to get the kids, then am looking after them/ supervising homework, taking them to do some activity/ feeding/bathing/reading whatever until 8pm. Plus another 30mins after than making dinner. That's already nearly 8 hours, and I haven't included a single bit of housework/laundry/supermarket shopping/bill paying and general admin."

-1 hour soley getting kids ready...? how many kids does she have??!!!

-45 minutes getting them to school - far enough, but this should be shared with partner.

  • an hour walking the dog.. working parents do this too one walks the dog and the other does dinner
  • Leave at 3 to get kids. (so what happened to the other 4 hours
  • then the homework supervising surely half an hour max.
  • taking them to an activity. Ok this will prob take just over an hour... but it wont be every day and even if it is surely while they are doing the activity you would read or chat to other parents or something.
  • and the feeding/bathing/reading we ALL do that with our kids. It should also be shared with partner.

This is NOT a substancial amount of a acheivement for an adult... and is not comparible to an 8 hour working day (and on that subject - 8 hour day, with lunch break... havent seen one of them in I dont know how long! Not to mention an hour commute either side of it)

dittany · 29/05/2010 21:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ImSoNotTelling · 29/05/2010 21:23

foureleven you are starting to sound a bit um...

How roman and her DH run their lives is up to them. Disecting their arrangements and saying that where she is doing the work, well actually he should be doing it, and she's spending the incorrect amount of time getting them up in the morning is [sonfused]

Also you seem to assume that all paid work follows exactly teh same pattern ie obviously there's an hour commute each side and no unch break.

You see the thing here is that you and your family, are different to roman and her family. She and her DH do not have to do everything exactly the same as you and your DH in order to be doing it properly.

Roman might be spending the 4 hours in the middle of the day (which are hard to fill with gainful employment) studying, for all you know. Would that also signal a woeful lack of achievement?

Why so harsh? She puts in her hours at the beginning and end of the day, her DH puts his in in the middle. Why does that make you so irate?

foureleven · 29/05/2010 21:28

hmm.. it hasnt always been traditionally female work though.. and isnt even now in all cultures.

I have no interest in traditionally male or female work, or whether youre a man or woman I see men/ women as I see black people/ white people - rich people/ poor people.. we all have the same abilities.. making out that this 'traditional womens work' takes the same time out of your day and is as useful and taxing as 'traditional mens work' is deluded. I do all the above on topof a 50 hour week... we pay someone to do half the rest of it and dp does the other half.. thats £14 and a couple of hours of DPs time... That does not make for an entire existance.

Note Im using the example of someone with eithe r1 4 year old.. or all kids at school.

foureleven · 29/05/2010 21:29

Also, Im not suggesting all women should go to work rather than stay at home. Im saying if you do choose to stay at home you need to do all the 'home work' during working hours... you cant not do either

foureleven · 29/05/2010 21:34

PS. (getting riled now, can you tell)

Today I took 4 yr old DD to dance school for 8.55am

waited there for an hour and read.

took her to garden centre and bought plants etc.

Came home and made lunch and did gardening with DD.

Gave her a bath. Set out her painting things.

did nothing for about 3 hours but lay about while she played.

DP ame home from shopping in town. I made dinner.

Then got DD ready for bed and read her a story. Put her to bed.

That must be an average (oh so tough and comparible to a day in the rat race) day for someone at home with the kids...

To say as a woman thats all you can cope with is just pathetic.

cleared away dinner

fulltimeworkingmum · 29/05/2010 21:35

I understand this issue. I cook (not to mention working full time and studying as well) and DH does a lot of the housework. However, I love cooking, growing things to eat and generally pottering - I find it is a great stress reliever, along with white wine!! It's also a control thing - I prefer to know that my family are eating good quality, minimally processed food.
However, if I had to do all the other housework, mending etc I'd be pretty fed up. For us, it's a team thing. He gets my salary, my cooking etc etc!! and he runs the DCs around, does the ironing and most of the household chores. As far as I'm concerned... RESULT!!!

foureleven · 29/05/2010 21:37

Imsonottelling - because she seems to think that her way is the opitome of feminism and I wholeheartedly disagree.

(very passionate, opinionated and fiesty bitch alert, I am equally as passionate about only using branded cornflakes btw)

Romanarama · 29/05/2010 21:50

I was actually just using some points about me to try to illustrate some general principles that I thought might be useful to the OP. My experience and family is a lot more complicated that a couple of posts here might describe, as is everybody's, and I and my family are very happy with it. I will be working ft from next week and am pleased about that. I don't actually count hours or divvy up tasks at all, but if I was feeling put upon, like the OP, then I would.

If anyone's really interested to know what I actually do in the day, well today I spent hours installing an in-ground dog poo disposal unit. The last few days I have been making a pair of bedroom curtains as I couldn't find what we wanted at a price I thought reasonable. Today I also spent a long time at the park with my (3) primary school aged children, and the dog(!), to guarantee dh peace and quiet for a siesta, because I value his leisure as highly as my own.

You can, of course, not do either. I expect it would be much better. If we won the lottery we'd be straight off to the beach somewhere and would hire 2 housekeepers, a driver, and a cook before we could say 'hooray!'

But this is all irrelevant, and therefore my last post, as I hate to be irrelevant. I will go back to my very good book......

ImSoNotTelling · 29/05/2010 21:56

"making out that this 'traditional womens work' takes the same time out of your day and is as useful and taxing as 'traditional mens work' is deluded"

But it's not deluded.

The childcare and running the home is never ending - you are on call for your kids all the time, the housework is never ever really finished.

If no-one does the "traditional womens work" then there is no food to eat, everyone gets ill from poor hygeine, the children are neglected etc etc. Of course it is useful. Of course it takes time out of your day.

Whether you find paid work more taking than childcare/housework or vice versa is a matter of personality. Personally I find paid work miles less taxing and would take that over housework/childcare any day. However I understand that other people find the reverse. It is not beyond my wit to understand that different people have different personalities and arrangements, and even if they are different to what suits my family, it does not mean that they are wrong.

Also "Im saying if you do choose to stay at home you need to do all the 'home work' during working hours". How are people expected to do all teh work with the children while they are at school? Surely in that case it is clear that the work is before school and afterwards.

If someone had a job outside teh home which was 6.30 - 9.30 and then 3.30 - 8.30 would you say they were pathetic? Does work have to be outside the home and office hours in order to "count"?

ImSoNotTelling · 29/05/2010 21:57

You don't need to justify yourself roman

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