Why do women do the lions share of the housework and childcare still in general?

Question

Surely the deal was that once women shared the breadwinning burden an equal and opposite 'hand' would be given in the low status/montonous/unpaid labour that necessarily has to be expended at home!?

Yet recent stats show that women (on average) when paid/unpaid work is taken into consideration still do an average 19 hours more work compared to her male counterpart.. with part-time women workers more likely to be expending labour excessively on all fronts..

Obviously there will be exceptions on an individual level but I just wondered WHY some women suffer having to do it all whilst their husband/boyfriend goes out or puts his feet up?

Answer 1

In my house, it is the opposite. I go to work and he stays home and takes care of everything. No kids right now, so he can focus on homemaking. I don't put my feet up at all. I will pitch in at times, but I expect all the housework to be handled by him.

Answer 2

Historically and sociologically,these roles have always been the "womans role". Over time we (as societies) have evolved in many different areas; scientific, economic, cultural, etc... Yet one of the slowest has been the evolution of womens roles. Personally I believe that the strength of its history is to blame. Its history spans all generations, all cultures, all religions, etc... Seriously, look at how long it took for women to even have a say(vote)in a "mans" world. You should realize that your question is one that has been around since the beginning of time. Women have always asked why they are the ones responsible for the "household" duties. For a very long time women could not work outside the home unless they were a teacher or a nurse. Now with progress they hold any job that a man can. (Although they usually have to work twice as hard to get the same respect). Nonetheless, we have progressed to that point where women are equals in the workforce. It will be just a matter of time until women and men share the household chores equally. Unfortunately, that amount of time will not pass in our lifetime. I would expect that history will hold true for this well into the year....2201A.D. That being an optimistic date. I do believe that progress is made every day. We just do not always see it. In the mean time, ask your husband or boyfriend to do one extra thing a week. Let them "perfect" that new learned skill, and then maybe next month add another. Remember to ask them to do it every week, or else they might forget. It may take time, but we will eventually get to a point of true equallity.

Answer 3

I believe that in today's world that is a myth..people are looking at these days that if you are not helping me right this minute you have not done anything today...Actually I meet more women today then ever that burn water in the microwave..Also many are or look like they are helpless. Do not know which way to hold a hammer. And yes I meet more men or their spouses admit to it that the man does the cooking, cleaning etc..If these man you are talking about that their mothers did every thing for them were taught that way isn't the blame falling on the mother(women) to begin with. How do we know that their mother did or knew how to clean cook etc. So if I for instance help inside and I do is that mean that spouses should come out and help me dig, clean gutters, build sheds, pour concrete do back breaking labor and get hernia surgeries? It comes down to this actually: If you live in an apartment you have a point, but if you own a house you loose that point...And lastly many women do not look for a home maker type of guy in the first place. A guy like that scares them...and to top it off if the man would do all these things, women as well would take advantage of the situation...
Ex Mr mom and a killer cook.-

Answer 4

I think that question is a very sexist question basically some women agree to this arrangement and some IE you don t like it my wife decided that she wanted to go and study i now look after my daughter i clean the house i do the washing i normally do the cooking recent stats where are these stats from and why do you believe statistics they are mostly made up on the spot to suite what ever point the person is trying to make and may i also say when i worked me and my wife shared the workload
Sorry may i also say it is not as hard as some work out i can manage to keep my daughter entertained do the washing and make lunches ect its not hard if you apply yourself i think some people just want to have a moan about something

Answer 5

Its the women's fault for putting up with that.I don't feel sorry for anyone who can't stand up for themselves.I feel if a woman is a stay home mom the housework is mainly her responsibility but however just because the man works doesn't mean he doesn't have to be a father.The childcare and quality time should be equal with the kids no matter what the working situation is.There should be help on the weekends for the mom with all the housework because just because moms stay home doesn't mean they are not tired at the end of the week.So if women are letting their men get away with this they deserve it because you teach people how to treat you and if you know things arent fair then why waste ten years of your life before you finally say something.

Answer 6

i can only really answer this from my point of view and my situation... i am married, 3 children..... my hubby works full time... i work part time.... i do all the housework and look after the children..now my point is although there are days when i wish hubby would help (and he does sometimes) i actually prefer to do it all....it might be different if he didnt work...we are both also working on uni and college courses so we can better ourselves and have careers so we can earn more money (we are both on min. wage) our situation works... when he is home he plays with the children and i know he appreciates everthing i do for the family as i do him..... i know there are a lot of situations out there where partners, both male and female of whom do nothing in the home or work and expect the other to do all the work.... i think the problem is we have been bought up to think that women have to do all the work in the home and alot of men use this as an excuse not to do anything.. i also think the government make it easy with all the benefits there are for people (men and women) not to want to work... well they are my points on the subject

Answer 7

our childrens are in basic terms approximately grown up, properly my son is a guy now and my daughter is mid babies. My spouse and that i shared the chores and so on yet at cases once I had to artwork extra shifts to earn additional money she might help with the help of taking extra of the home ordinary jobs. I even have continually performed a brilliant area in the childcare and progression. My spouse and that i see it as a set attempt, in case you will and share responsabilities. it incredibly works or maybe nonetheless it is under no circumstances continually an basic experience, we've triumph over hindrances and enjoyed the highlights, consisting of our childrens doing properly in what they gain and luxuriate in as pastimes. So I even have under no circumstances been a babysitter, I even have and continually would be a father, no count number what age my young babies are! i'm additionally a husband, buddy and lover to my spouse besides!

Answer 8

I know this is going to sound really stupid, but I actually really enjoy taking care of my husand -- running our household, cooking, etc. We're newlyweds though, so it could change. For that reason I make sure he always knows he's "on call" and he usually always helps when I ask. Also, for me, if I do the things I enjoy like cooking and keeping the apartment neat and the bills paid, I can get out of the things I hate like driving, walking the dog, and taking out the trash -- and he never realizes how much I hate doing those things so to him he's never doing enough for me. Works well. ;)

For other women, I think there are many that have grown up with mothers who did everything, and so that is the image they have and role model they follow. Perhaps as more girls grow up with working mothers, things will change. Problem is that changing societal norms takes a long time and slow changes.

Answer 9

Its taken for granted that all the boring filthy tasks that need doing round the house will be done by the mother.

Most people are brought up seeing their mum doing all the housework, shopping etc an its just in built that, that is how it works.

We don't choose to do them we just do because we know they wont get done other wise also if we do all these jobs we know that they will get done and done right.

I'm not suggesting for one minute that some men don't do their fair share but if we are all really truthful with ourselves when hubby does it we still complain cos it ain't done the way we want it lol.

Answer 10

your right I think from now men should stay home and look after the baby and breast feed it when it cries, sing lullabuys for them to sleep, change their nappies. redecorate the house, Choose new curtains, use all their muscle to help vacuum the house, Its full time work.

The women should go out and work 35 hours a week be responsible for getting money into the house, use their increased emotional stability to maintain hard work. To get the bonus and have no problem working even when pregnant. To come home to the husband all exhausted so that the husband can care for her.

This sounds excellent

Answer 11

Because that's the way it used to be for many years; that was the woman's job to take care of the house and children and the man's job was to go to work and and bring home the paycheck. I still feel that families were alot closer back then. but now both almost have to work to make ends meet. If the woman HAS to work, then any kind of work or chores SHOULD BE SHARED.