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June 24, 2005
Does he do the dishes?
From the Week Magazine:
Spanish lawmakers introduced a new marriage contract this week that stipulates men must do half the housework. The new vows will be used in civil marriage ceremonies starting this autumn. Wives won’t be able to take their husbands to court for being lazy, but in the case of divorce, a husband who has done less than his share will have to pay more alimony. “Men have to learn to start taking more responsibility in the home,” said Margarita Uria, the member of parliament who authored the bill, “and women have to help them do it.” A recent survey found that 40 percent of Spanish men do no household chores whatsoever, even if their wives work outside the home.
I feel really lucky. When I'm at the gym or in social settings and hear wives complain about their husbands how never cook or clean I just sort of shake my head and feel fortunate. Joe cooks--half the time dinner is on the table when I come home from work! And it's delicious, plated beautifully and easily fine restaurant quality. No shit-on-a-shingle in our house (although I grew up on it and love the stuff).
But we also are pretty good at sharing the house responsibility. Well mostly. I would say he's better at it than I am. I'm definitely lazier. But we share doing the dishes, share the laundry, share the cleaning before guests come over, share all the basics. It's just a part of how we work--in a partnership. I'm always amazed at how many conversations I overhear where the wife or the husband is ripping on their spouse for not being more domestic. Half of those husbands are complaining because the poor woman isn't waiting on him hand and foot while holding down a job and taking care of the kids. And I hear wives digging in about how their husband wouldn't know a vacuum if it bit him in the ass. I feel so sad for people like that. I just find conversations like that to be such a dishonor to their partner, regardless of any truth or validity. And then I realize how really and truly lucky I am, to find such sharing, partnership and true bliss in my marriage that most people can probably go find a bucket before I cause you to puke now...
Posted by crystallyn at June 24, 2005 07:13 AM
Comments
I am really lucky too. We divide the work equitably considering my full-time job.
Posted by: Heidi at June 24, 2005 02:45 PM