I guess I never realized how much BBQing became a duty only for men. I don't often see women working the grill. In fact, I don't think I ever have. Not even on TV.
Then I kinda got to thinking, what other tasks have become "gender oriented"? These are some of the ones in my household:
- Road Trip Driving: My husband complains that my driving makes him nauseous. I think it's just because he's not driving. Plus, I like to sleep on drives.
- Laundry: I'm basically the only one that does it because my husband is pretty inept when it comes to washing the laundry. If he did it, stains would stay on clothes and they wouldn't get separated properly.
- Cleaning the Kitchen: I don't know why, but men really don't do a very good job of cleaning the kitchen.
- Mowing the Lawn (get your filthy mind out of the gutter): The breadwinner does this for now. But we may have to hire a gardner. My husband has developed an allergy to garden work that not even Clariten can fix.
- Nursing the baby: For obvious reasons.
- Making Pancakes: I've told The Princess that I don't know how to make pancakes. That way, I can avoid the sticky mess when I'm by myself. Plus, I don't really think pancakes are all that healthy. Especially when the Princess douses it with tons of syrup and butter. Of course, the Breadwinner has told the Princess that mommy knows how and that I'm just lazy. Now, the Princess goes around telling me that I'm lazy. Thanks hubby!
- Fixing things: Daddy is best at this one.
Are there gender based tasks in your household too?
BTW? Yes Goldy, I did say Penis Ring of this variety.
13 comments:
I have to disagree with cleaning the kitchen. Kyle is great at it! Cleaning the bathroom is typically more my duty than Kyle's. He also usually does the long road trip driving. I think he would prefer to split the drive but I also like to sleep on long road trips so he resorts to driving most of the way. I think I sleep better in the car than in my bed.
And yes, that plum sweater is mine. I'll get it from you next time I see you.
Hubby is the fixer and he is a great cleaner. He's so obsessive I let him do it when he's willing. He's actually better than me.
He usually prefers to drive because he critiques my driving and then I want to kill him! So I'd just rather he drive.
He usually does the grilling too although I've done some simple things. I also mowed the front lawn a few weekends ago and was SO proud of myself.
I left the back lawn to him because its bigger and more work.
Oh yes and I had to laugh about the mowing the lawn gutter comment. My mind wasn't there until you mentioned it and yes in that context I absolutely leave that to hubby!
Well, I don't have a degree and I can't use a grill, either. The Man tries to teach me, but I won't have it. Haha, the other night, he needed to run to the Auto parts store (he does all the vehicle work!) and couldn't leave because the steaks had to get cooked. His friend said "Amy can't just flip them?" And we both looked at him and said "If you like 'em well done!"
I agree on the cleaning, laundry, and driving. I WOULD drive, but he hates it. I'm a much better driver than him (Preffered, actually, says American Family Insurance) - he just gets bored as a passenger. The lawn mowing, I leave up to him as well. And since he just HAD to get a new mower, he will be doing that for at least the next few years. I CAN and have mowed a lot of yards (my old one was almost an acre! by push mower!) but, why do that stuff when he can? It's not like he has an unending list of chores like, ahem, *some* people do.
He also cooks for me, but I have to clean that up. And I've been getting more into it lately.
I actually DO know how to work a gas BBQ grill - go me! Haven't done it for awhile, but taught myself when my first husband and I separated and I didn't want to give up grilled chicken. During my years between marriages, of course, I did all the chores myself. :-)
But yeah, every couple I know seems to have "his" and "hers" tasks, although they're not always the same ones. Referring to your list:
Driving - His, for the same reason as at your house (hubby gets carsick)
Laundry - Both, but his most of the time. Ironing - His for sure!
Cleaning - I do kitchen and bathrooms, he vacuums and dusts. Since we're currently apartment dwellers, no one does yardwork and there's not much home maintenance to deal with.
The one job I really want to make "his" is car maintenance - I just hate dealing with anything other than the gas station. And besides, I married a car guy, so shouldn't that be one of the perks?
I do the dishes and change the cat box. The dishes will be either left for me, or not used at all. The cat box only gets changed if I am out of town for a week, and then it's like pulling teeth.
To be fair, he does the cooking because he likes things that take more work than pouring something into boiling water. (This is why I do the dishes.)
Our tasks pretty much match up to yours, except Hubby also cleans the kitchen (better than me), while I always clean the bathrooms (with 4 males--there's always PEE everywhere!) He cooks too--he can make a mean cheesecake from SCRATCH. Yet, I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't able to recognize the washer from the dryer....
We are so sadly gendered around household chores. How does it happen that way? I can't work the grill.
That pretty much sums up my household although, as my wife will attest to, I can't fix things either.
Hubby and I laugh that he owns the tools, but I'm the only one who knows how to use them. I tend to be the fixer of things around the house. But the rest of your list is the same for us. Oh! And the garbage. He is the garbage person. I create garbage and then he has to haul it out to the garage!
Cheryl: Kyle is an aberration.
Worker Mommy:I too, hate my husband's backseat driving. (and it makes me nervous)
Butrfly: "why do that stuff when he can" That's my motto too!
Florinda: I'm proud of you for knowing how to grill on a BBQ (I can grill on an indoor grill-- does that count?)
Des: I don't do the catbox either
Trenches: You should teach your boys to pee sitting down (it may lessen your cleaning chore)
O the joys: It is sad huh?
Goldy: Must be pretty pricey for you when things break down
Brillig: I don't do garbage either. My assigned chore on garbage day though, is to purge things from the fridge.
Same gender roles here, too!
I sure wish he could nurse the baby...my boobs could use a little break!
We do some things differently. Hubby always does the dishes and cleans the bathroom. I do the yard work - love that cut grass smell!!! I do pretty much all the driving. Even though he is an excellent driver I feel so much better when I'm behind the wheel and he likes to sleep in the car.
The thing that gets me though is that I do so much more than he does. And another thing? He will never change a light bulb. The last time one went out in the bath I just decided I wasn't going to change it for once. Well, we showered in the dark for WEEKS!
That's funny, my husband is always the one to grill...I don't think I have ever grilled anying in my life.
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