SAHMs -- how much housework does your DH help with?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gee let's see.

He drops the kids at daycare in the morning, but only after I've fed them breakfast, laid out their clothes, made sure their backpacks are packed and their teeth are brushed.

I take the kids to their activities and I'm team mom for one of them.

We each do 50% of putting the kids to bed.

I WOH 45 hours a week.

I do all the cooking, other than Saturday dinners.

100% of the finances, from checkbook balancing to retirement investing, is up to me.

I buy all the kids' clothes and arrange summer camps and all playdates and activities.

We have a teenager do all our yardwork.

We have an every other week cleaning service.

We each service our own cars.

People wonder why I screw around on him.

How do you have time to screw around?

[Anonymous]

I screw around on my lunch hour and on business trips.

[Anonymous]

I stay at home and my husband:

- wakes the baby up in the morning, changes his diaper, and plays with him for about 30 minutes before I wake up
- walks the dog twice a day
- pays all the bills (though sometimes I have to go through the mail and hand him things that need to be addressed)
- takes out the trash and recycling (I have to nag him about this)
- the vast majority of the cooking

[Anonymous]

You know, the more I read these posts, the more I realize that the reason my parents had (and have) such a blissful marriage is that, even though my father did not lift a finger around the house (other than to play with us kids), my mom didn't have to do that much in the way of housework either (other than errands and buying groceries), although she always worked. They had live in help, and so meals were made, laundry was done, the house was cleaned, the yardwork was done, and instead of being at each other's throats all evening and weekend, they could play tennis and relax. Since I don't have all that help, you better believe I married a man who pitches in equally at home! No WAY would I tolerate some of the behavior husbands seem to get away with on this board. We might be doing most of the work ourselves (except for a weekly cleaning/laundry lady), but at least we're both contributing.

[Anonymous]

I stay at home. My husband makes the kids breakfast in the morning, helps get them ready for school. Cleans up the kitchen as he goes along. We alternate taking the kids to school.

In the evenings he brushes their teeth and gets them ready for bed. Both of us spend about half an hour straightening the house. I do laundry. He takes out garbage and recycling. We sort of split everything else.

I do bills since I'm better at them. Handle finances.

Have gardener and once-a-week cleaning lady who does sheets, towels, etc. Husband takes cars to get fixed. I do gas, car washes, etc.

It's pretty much a good deal for both of us. I do about ten hours of consulting a week, I should add. I have an extra babysitter to help out if I ever need it. And we have a babysitter at least once a week to go out to dinner by ourselves and to do stuff with friends.