It seems like Becky is always standing in front of a washer and dryer or at the grocery store. These are two jobs she won’t outsource to me. Understandably. There was that time I turned all her underwear and mine pink. And there was that time I bought the wrong brand of toilet paper and peanut butter and the time I spent almost twice as much on groceries as she averages. And she does average. She keeps track like shopping is an olympic sport. She always walks in the door bragging about how she just saved 47% on groceries – as if trying to impress a judge into giving her a 9.9.
Anyway, you get the idea. She’s quite the accomplished shopper and washer of all things textile.
I, on the other hand, can throw-down with a dusting cloth and a scrub brush. Dishes and bathrooms are my specialty.
Becky oversees oil changes because, well, she’s in the car 90% of the time since I “work” from home most days. And she does the taxes because, well, she’s a CPA with a masters degree in finance, or is it accounting, and I play the guitar and sing pretty. So this makes sense as well.
But I lift things that are heavy and reach things that are high up. This will continue to be the case until Gresham’s about 10, at which point we’re fairly certain he will be stronger and taller than me and I’ll be out of a job. But I also fix things: bikes, smoke alarms, dripping faucets, leaking windows, broken furniture. And I play Candyland, I Spy Bingo, and work puzzles daily. And then there’s baby spiders.
I was reading yesterday in Psychology Today – because one of my jobs is reading a lot apparently – that it’s not a good idea to try to even up the workload in a family. They recommend you just do what you’re skilled at and be sensitive to each other so you notice when assistance or a break is needed. Well, hopefully you notice before the assistance and break is needed. They say that trying to make the “chore” list equal requires constant measuring and scrutinizing, and those things lead to resentment and division pretty quickly.
So, now instead of feeling selfish and lazy because my superhuman wife does approximately 75% of all the stuff that keeps this family running, I just feel a lot less skilled than she is. Yea, that’s better. Thanks psychologist people. Thanks for the help with that.
keith says:
slacker.
Lindsay @ Not2Us says:
Literally laughed out loud at this!
Laura @ Texas in Africa says:
LOL!
I don’t think you realize how many women would kill for a husband who does bathrooms.
Anne Jackson says:
please take this down before my husband sees this.
RevJeff says:
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA plop.
– fell of the chair.
Compassion dave says:
Psychology Today? Someone stop me before I digress…
Suzanne says:
I started to respond and then I sounded like an irrate wife…suffice it to say, nice to know you’re like many other married couples out there!
Rebecca says:
“singing pretty” or being a roaming bard is the same as it ever was…still worth a meal and a bed
Shaun Groves says:
I just read it for the articles, Dave.
Grovesfan says:
Now I know why you don’t want to come back to North Dakota. It’s not because of the cold weather. It’s because you know I’ll expect you to clean the bathrooms and dust. I get it now.
Dawn~Canada says:
Cleaning is a skill, a workable trade even. So…if you’re looking to work that skill on a more profitable level, our bath room could use a thorough once over. Dusting too! (You could sing pretty as you…work!)
Anne Jackson says:
btw you should totally bring the fam out to davis kidd tomorrow for a little book talk with me chris coppernoll and m-becker. 7 pm
Tim Bailey says:
Try using your mad guitar skillz to serenade her while she does laundry. She’ll love it. Do it. I so dare you.
David says:
You’ll only be out of a job if Gresham can sing and play guitar at age 10. Which is about the median age at which most lucrative record deals are apparently signed these days.
FzxGkJssFrk says:
You should obviously be reading Physics Today instead!