"Are you doing the washing?" and other weekend plans

[Pussinflatboots]

Just back from a week away, went to visit ILs.

FIL's conversation starter to me 'What are you doing over the rest of the weekend? Got lots of washing to do?'

My response (too pissed off to make witty/sarcastic comeback) 'No need, there was a washing machine where we stayed'.

Him: Oh that's good. You could keep on top of the washing while you were away.

Like I give a shit about washing, and actually DH does it as much as me. It just annoyed me, and I thought I'd share, and find out what your 1950s housewife plans are (or should be in the eyes of the ILs).

[TryLikingClarity]

Trillian - yes, I do think the PILs were in some sort of stand-off.... one which has lasted almost 40 years, which is the length of time they've been married for.

[Funtimewincies]

I do a large proportion of the housework but am a SAHM. I choose to do other stuff like baking and the allotment and stuff. However, I'm careful to make sure that my 2 ds don't grow up thinking that this is because I'm a woman, especially as Dh mostly does housework in the evenings when they are in bed.

My mother thinks that I'm a bad wife and mother because my house isn't spotless and MIL does everything for BIL who is in his 30s and still living at home. However, My 4 year old ds1 can work the washing machine, put his own clothes away, get his uniform out and yesterday asked if I could teach him how to cook dinner . Result!

[TimeWasting]

We don't have a tumble dryer, so the laundry is a big deal for me. Got to love this weather.

A few women have been that I don't iron DH shirts. He doesn't have time to do much, but ironing his own clothes and making his packed lunch are well within his capabilities.

[sacredcow]

My DS thinks that washing up, hoovering, tidying and cooking are all boys jobs thanks to my houseproud father and my chore-sharing DH. He has a toy hoover that he proudly pushes around after both of them.

I do housework by proxy. I work and pay someone else to do my cleaning and ironing. I do the washing though as I enjoy it. God knows why. My MiL has described me as a lazy slattern. She can get bent.

[PenguinArmy]

To give her her due my MIL would never dare to say something along those lines to me. Our land lord was horrified when he found out that I was the one who had been painting and stripping the wood in soon to be babies room.

Naturally there is plenty of comments from her I could moan about, but I did find her utter confusion at be still BF instead of switching to cows milk (despite me being a vegan) more amusing than anything. A classic 'does not compute' look on her face.

[wicketkeeper]

The day I realised my XH and I had done a pretty good job of raising DS was when DS came to visit DP and me. We were all going out for a meal, DS (aged 14) realised his good shirt had got creased in his bag and got the ironing board out without even asking. Thumbs up all round.

[WillieWaggledagger]

when my mum had had an operation at christmas and I was at university loads of people including my grandfather said 'so are you going back early to help her out?'. er, no, I had exams and there were THREE men (my father and two brothers) at home to get stuff done. (obviously i helped out while she was recovering but it was the assumption that it would fall to me that was so irritation)

[berkshirefem]

I'm with trillian... I can't imagine talking to someone about washing... whoever walks past it and has a second sticks it on, it doesn't register to be honest. I guess DP does more than I do, because he has a thing about the bedclothes being washed every single week.. he also prefers to hang it out himself because he likes the way he does it better than the way I do..