It's a two-way street. She is treating him like a child/employee, and he is acting like one. It's a vicious cycle. A marriage with two WOH parents needs to be more of a partnership, where both parties have an equal sense of responsibility and respect for each other. Honestly, this sounds like a perfect candidate for some kind of counseling to help them work on getting out of this dynamic and more into an equal partnership. |
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OP - I think men are incapable of cleaning up kitchen very well. My DH also leaves clean dishes on counter with that excuse.
Maybe he should do other chores instead. |
Have him scrub the toilets |
They are capable of it. They just don't want to do it and would prefer we get stuck doing it all. |
Before we had kids and before we got a cleaning service, he refused to just stick to one toilet. It was maddening. He didn't want to clean it himself. He didn't want to pay for someone else to do it either (did it despite his protests. and for the record we both wohm). And to help me out he wouldn't just limit his mess to one main one. Also, you should see his definition of clean when my toddler spills some pee on the bathroom tile. It's not just about drying it up. It has to be disinfected. SIGH. Kill me. |
Well, not every night. But I make enough rice to last a few days (1 pot to clean, or 1 rice cooker to clean, instead of 3). Burgers don't require a lot of pots. Casseroles and slow cooker stuff a couple times a week should cut the workload. I also tend to cook a lot of curries, casseroles, and stews because I am a WOHM and I don't like doing a lot of cooking right when I get back from work. I save the dishes that must be made right at dinnertime for weekends when there is less rush. I also clean up as I go and have gotten more efficient. Cut the veggies, set them aside, cut meat on the same cutting board, then cutting board goes directly into the dishwasher. Before I even sit down to eat, I can put a skillet in the dishwasher. Some other easy things - I made a thai herb marinade with basil, cilantro, mint, fish sauce, garlic and ginger. I made enough for four uses and stack them in the freezer. putting some thawed marinade and chicken thighs in a dish in the morning takes two minutes. I bake them in the oven, then broil some asparagus when the chicken is out of the oven. One pyrex dish (or wire rack if I went that route, lining the pan itself with foil) goes into the dishwasher. And that pretty much takes care of cleanup. (Asparagus is broiled on a sheet pan lined with foil, but the sheet pan goes into the dishwasher if it gets messy, too). I am just saying that there are ways to shift some of the work to earlier in the day so the evenings aren't a shitshow. My DH travels for work 4 nights a week and I am really tired in the evening, so I shift as much work as possible to weekends and daytime. |
Oh for god's sake. |
It only hurt the children, not me. What's "hahaha" about that? |
I know, that was the most absurd thing I've read on DCUM in a long while. (WTF?) |
| Why is it absurd? DH and I both work a full day, I'm in charge of meals and premade marinades on baked stuff is pretty much how we roll at least 3 out of five working days a week. |
I was the PP who called it absurd. I was being sarcastic. Advance meal planning/prep is the easiest way to simplify the evening routine.
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I tool was wondering about the other poster. I meal plan as well and even make homemade frozen dinners for crunch nights. I have one SAHM who shadowed me one week to try to learn how I do it. I do it for time and health. It's not easy to stay a size 6 at 40 and it doesn't happen without meal planning! |
| I think the detail of the recipes was a little much. Very Gwyneth. Condescending. I think most of us know how to cook. Maybe not all of us are as organized. Or maybe our kids need more attention. OF COURSE meal planning makes life easier. But I for one, don't need a lesson in how to cook asparagus. Or how to line a pan with foil. |
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This thread has gotten funny. OP here. First off, this post was a VENT. I was feeling down and tired and unappreciated. I'm sure we all feel that way from time to time. Do I wish my DH would initiate to do more around the house? Yes. But as a pp said, he prioritizes the stuff that is more important to him and I do what is important to me. He doesn't care much about things being really clean and tidy. There is plenty of stuff I don't care about and don't give much attention to as well. We have discussed how when I ask him for help, and he agrees to do something for me, that it is important to me that he gets it done. Just like if he asks me to do something for him, I try to get it done.
Our nights aren't crazy hectic, I do make dinner almost every night except for pizza night once a week (which is due to a late-running after school activity). I do meal plan each week what I am going to make every night for dinner, then I shop for the ingredients, and then I make the stuff. I don't go crazy gourmet but I am not making a full meal at 10:00am so that we can reheat it at 5:30, that is strange. I know about the "great shortcuts" of lining pans with foil and using a crockpot, thanks .Also, I have 3 children with the youngest still at home mostly/ in part-time preschool. When she's at school I am volunteering, running errands, cleaning, etc. When she's not in school we aren't sitting at home cooking our meal for next Tuesday.
I'm not currently WOHM, so of course I expect the bulk of the household duties to fall on me. I don't ask my husband to help me do household stuff (such as clean up after dinner) every day, maybe it happens once a week. I am not a nag, I came on here to vent so I wouldn't be nagging him .
Anyhow, I'm over it and I don't feel so down anymore, mostly because as this thread went on I've had a few chuckles. I mean, at least I never found a strange hairbrush in my house! Thanks all. |
Well, clearly some people do, because people seem stunned that you can get dinner on the table without having a sink full of dirty dishes to take care of at 8 pm every night. (And if you're more organized, won't you be able to give your kids *more* attention??) |