My husband helps me a lot at home and we share the house chores, but he likes to joke and say that he is the one doing everything at home, once he has just finished washing the dishes once in a while! So l’ve decided to let him experience what it is really to do everything! He is now in charge of the grocery shopping, the laundry, the cooking, the cleaning, the driving, the bill paying, the movie picking, the holidays planning and so on. Funnily enough but totally un-correlated this experience coincides with a number of studies I’ve found and discussions I’ve had about how men are happier when sharing house chores with their partner, about how important a supportive partner is to a woman’s career etc…
I’m having an other busy week at work so I won’t enjoy it too much lazying around and I must admit for this first evening it was quite strange to sit on the sofa and browse Wired while he was cooking (or let say struggling) in the kitchen. I felt like I was sick, which happened may be two or three times in the 15 years we’ve been together, I also felt like jealous not to have fun cooking in the kitchen with him, but I felt grateful for the simple meal he prepared for us! Last night the experience was more delectable. I had a late call for work (damned time difference!) and I was delighted to see the dinner ready when I finished, a delicious set of grilled eggplants whith pasta.
With this experience I realized that many of the things I do at home are mechanical and it takes a lot of effort for me not to do them. They are part of a sort of routine just like brushing teeth and require no effort. Also that I easily accept to give away tasks in which I don’t especiacilly take pride in, but cooking!!! this is much harder… For me it’s like sleeping, exercising or going outside, I need it! Please! Give me my kitchen back! I just can’t stand seating and doing nothing while you somebody else is in my kitchen!
