She Said
Written by: Brooke Herron There is one thing that I hope never to receive as a gift: a
vacuum cleaner. Not that I don’t appreciate a freshly cleaned floor, but if the giver of the gift thinks that a shiny new sucking machine is going to make me want to merrily vacuum day in and out, they’re sadly mistaken. I suppose you could say that I don’t exactly embrace the role of a domestic diva. I also don’t subscribe to the norms of the (recent) past that
proclaimed a woman’s place is in the home. Cleaning, cooking and rearing children were traditionally women’s work, but those times have changed. Women often work out of the home and earn dual incomes with their spouses. They shouldn’t be solely responsible for the upkeep their residence, unless they choose to be a stay-at-home mom or housewife. Most women today work full-time jobs, yet many are still expected to per- form all the domestic duties, a thankless job. If two partners contribute to pay the bills, shouldn’t both partners contribute to household maintenance as well? I don’t want to work a full day, and then be solely responsible to pre- pare meals and clean the house. I do, how- ever, want a partner who is willing to help cook dinner and then take part in the daily upkeep of our home. I believe this works both ways.
If men help with the dishes,
women should be prepared to pick up a rake and help with the more “manly” tasks such as yard work. A relationship is a partner- ship - a team. And as with any team, all parties should con- tribute equally. I suppose this particular
“She Said” deals more with couples who are cohabitating, but it is an important issue nevertheless. How household duties will be divided is an important issue to consider, especially when looking fur- ther down the road to mar- riage. It will create problems and possibly lead to the rela- tionship’s demise if you move into someone’s home and then learn that their ideals in this area don’t mesh with your own.
Ladies, if you choose the role
of housewife - that’s your choice. It is respectable for a woman to want to fulfill that role. But no man should tell a woman that she has to take that responsibility. And, men, helping around the house does not reduce your masculinity. In fact, it will hon- estly make you more appealing to your mate! So guys, while you’re beating your chests for all that is manly… take a moment and beat the rugs too.
He Said
Written by: Judson White Maybe the writer of “She Said” should learn to appreciate
gifts. I personally love getting nice, new things that help me with the chores that I have to do around the house. If I got a new John Deere EZtrak Series Zero-Turn Mower for Christmas or for my birthday, I’d be happier than a pig in poo. To tell you the truth, I would even appreciate getting a vacuum if my girl- friend bought me a Dyson Ball. I’ve wanted one of those gad- gets forever! I wholeheartedly agree that cleaning and house chores
Gender Roles... Play Your Part?!
should be shared by the two cohabitants, if both of them are working full-time jobs away from the home. This means that the two are sharing the same amount of time working away from home. What I don’t think is fair is when one partner sleeps till 10am or 11am and works for a couple of hours from home selling Avon or hosting Tupperware parties. Yeah, that partner is contributing equally to bills, but they also have a much easier day than the other one who gets up at sunrise and doesn’t get home from work until 7pm. All I’m saying is that there is plenty of time for that less busy person to pick up a bottle of Windex for a couple of minutes a day. My girlfriend and I actually share a
lot of the housework, but what about the other activities? I’m all for contrib- uting equally to bills and taking my turn stuffing the dishwasher, but from now on we’re splitting the tab for dinner.
It’s time for
women to start taking us out to eat! And why am I the only one who scrubs the decks every Saturday afternoon after we return from a day of boating? If you want to share the cleaning AND the bills, does that mean you’ll split the repair bill when the trim and tilt goes out on the boat? No, but I’ll bet you anything that after I spend my time and money to fix it, she’ll be back onboard enjoying the view in no time. The list goes on and on. Who is changing oil in the driveway or attempting to repair the gar-
bage disposal? Typically guys. Women have it so easy! They reap the benefits of us being stereotypically “manly” when it suits their purposes, but want nothing to do with chores tradi- tionally left to the fairer sex. All that I’m saying is that before you ladies get bent out of
shape because he wants to have a clean house, keep in mind all of the other stuff that your man does to keep you happy - lawn care, mechanics, home repairs, spider killing, and putting up with your mother. Now go do the dishes!
PULSE MAGAZINE ---------- 57
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