Overheard at work...

[dameofdilemma]

Two (young) guys chatting....one extolling the virtues of his wife who 'washes all my clothes' and 'brings up my children' and allows him to 'come home and the house is spotless'....

He then advises the other one that he'll 'never find a girlfriend at work as they'll never do all of that'.

I'd quite like to come home to a spotless house, laundry done etc. But I'd assumed I'd need to employ someone to do that rather than rely on getting married....

I wonder how long it will be before he's complaining that his wife wants a divorce because she's sick of doing all the parenting and housework? Soon, I hope, he sounds like a right bell end.

Ah, a young princeling. How sweet :) I do hope he buys his slave wife all the latest cleaning products so that she can maintain the high standards that his royal highness deserves.

Am I evil for hoping she’s shagging the gardener and stashing away money in her divorce fund...?

Sadly this is still all far more common than you'd hope

It's not common in my house Biddie. If he wants something cleaning he can clean it and I won't stand in his way!

I overheard two young (20s) professional looking men talking about how disgraceful it was that women are entitled to maternity leave. Apparently they "swan off for 6 months at a time" and "men should be allowed to take 6 months to go off on a holiday".

NichyNoo

Tis may be mostly about age and not having kids. It wasn't that long ago I read a very similar opinion, maybe in the Guardian?, making the same claim, that those without children should be able to take a leave equivalent to maternity leave in order to work on personal projects.

As Joan Collins said after one of her divorces: "No more husbands. I think I'd like a wife."

I worked with a man arse who openly advised younger male colleagues a similar thing. Then a few years later, when his DC were more independent he left her, and proudly told everyone at work that she had been ideal for where he was when he was just starting out 15 years ago but now he needed someone more sophisticated who understood his work and could help him 'network'. He then advised younger colleagues to think about what a potential girlfriend could do for their careers before making any commitment.

I really hope (but doubt) that his wife got a good divorce settlement and that the new woman dumped him, but I left that workplace before I found out.

I have a house husband. House cleaned, meals cooked and on the table for when I finish work. The only thing I do is the washing because I like doing it. It's bloody great.

I wonder how long it will be before he's complaining that his wife wants a divorce because she's sick of doing all the parenting and housework?

Yeap, either that or he starts complaining that they have nothing in common, she is boring, whatever.

I must admit it is a good thing I wasn't born a man because I would have been a right macho git and revelled in having all the shitty things done for me.

Surely it makes sense for the person that doesn't work to do the housework whilst at home. Otherwise they'd be a lady of leisure.

What happened to "new men"?
In the early 90s the media was full of talk of new men, changing nappies and doing the housework.
Funnily enough, most of the men I know who were late teens/early 20s from that era, do do thier share at home.

It was the advice about steering clear of working women that had me biting my lip....clearly they don’t consider round the clock childcare and housework at home to be work then!

I have a house husband. House cleaned, meals cooked and on the table for when I finish work. The only thing I do is the washing because I like doing it. It's bloody great.

For a year DP, DS1 and I lived with my inlaws. Living with another woman was a very different experience - stuff just got done by one of us, while the men sat round watching TV (or shopping. DP does like a bit of shopping, although not with any plan in mind, just lots of random food). TBH I was scandalised at how DP reverted to a 14 year old spoiled brat.