Household Labor

One thing that’s been looked at and discussed in detail by many researchers and some couples/individuals (myself included) is the division of labor in the household. Many couples seem to be drifting away from the idea that the man has to be the breadwinner in the relationship and the woman has to sacrifice her own goals to be a stay at home mom. Household labor and income is being seen as a shared concern and burden rather than one-sided or decided by gender.



It seems in some relationships both men and women alike are being more firm in their beliefs and wants and resisting the societal expectation of their gender, in the younger generation at least. It’s hard for me to imagine gendered labor and tasks in my life or in the relationships of my friends or family. Chores are chores and nobody wants to do it so why not share the pain, right?!



That being said, I’m definitely guilty of not helping my boyfriend with our household chores more often so it’s not just heterosexual couples that this can be an issue for. However, what I don’t do in chores I make up for in other important home responsibilities and maintenance. We communicate everything we feel and come to agreements on everything that matters most. That’s the key to a good relationship, and apparently also the key to keeping a fair amount of household labor for both sides!



This site has some interesting information on the trends of household labor between couples/parents. https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/11/04/raising-kids-and-running-a-household-how-working-parents-share-the-load/