Why do some women assume that because you are a man, you are handy with home improvements?

Question

My wife is one of those who think just because I'm a man I should be able to build things, have intutitve knowledge of electricity and plumbing, be a carpenter, auto mechanic all roled into one.
I'm also sick of all these "home handymen" show that feature one guy that you never see swing a hammer or use a saw, but knows everything. Then your wife expects you to do the same.

malinda I've told her that I'm not a handy man....to no avail
And I have learned some basic stuff
BTW, not all men are naturally handy as some believe.

I don't expect anybody to be good at anything unless they are trained to do it and have made mistakes. That includes woomen and cooking.
The more practice you get at something the better you become, right?
So why do some women (not all) think men need no pratice at all to do home renovations?

Answer 1

Oh, man I agree with you completely. My girlfriend expects me to know how to do everything. I think she is confusing me with Bob Villa. Her last boyfriend worked construction so he knew how to do handy stuff and now she expect me to know how to do it. It is not that I am a complete idiot with that stuff but some things I haven't a clue Not that I can't learn but, don't expect me to know everything. The worst though is when I am doing something handy and my girlfriend comes in a tells me I am doing it all wrong and this is not the way her last boyfriend would have done it or her dad would have done. Trust me it leads to a lot of arguments. Another thing is too is that a lot of these handymen are dummies when it comes to finances or common sense. If you are handy you might not be so knowledgable about money. I know a lot of handy guys who tried to start their own business but they couldn't manage their money and were quickly out of business. It just goes to show that you can't be good at everything. OK, take care and good luck.

Answer 2

That's sexism. I don't know why women can get away with being sexists while any man who made the same kind of remarks would get instantly hung over the clothesline.
Tell your wife that you'll do more home improvements after she sews a new tool-belt for you. Say you've looked at all the tool-belts that are for sale and you can't find the right one, so you need to call upon her womanly skills to make just the right tool-belt for you.
That should buy you some time. However, if she actually makes a tool-belt for you, it will be time to go to work on that new bathroom.
BTW, the guy on the home handyman show is an actor. The work is being done by his off-camera support crew. They get paid money.

Answer 3

Nope not at all. The only thing I assume is you can't assume. Now on the other hand I have problems with a lot of men assuming that if I'm just being friendly that I'm interested in them. I guess it goes both ways. Add: Hmm reading some of the other comments part of your problem might be that you've developed a reputation. If it's widely known that you'll only make friends with a woman if you can sleep with her, then that explains why she would be acting the way she is. I have a couple of male friends like that, and I avoid them if I don't feel in the mood for getting pestered for "favours".

Answer 4

Stereotyping is damaging to both genders. It creates false expectations. Unfortunately, even in our 'enlightened' society, many women still think men are 'handymen' and men still think women should know how to cook.
Here's a hint. Learn endlessly, pay attention to those handyman shows, learn what you can from them, get some good books on home maintenance and practice doing everyday repairs, and soon you will live up to your wife's expectations. Maybe she'll bake some cookies for you as a reward.

Answer 5

I don't know but it's probably along the same lines as men thinking that women should know how to handle children and homemakey things like laundry, cooking, and cleaning.
We shouldn't assume as much as we do. We should be more sensitive and ask more questions.
You could joke with her about it. Ask her a question in reverse. That might help her understand better your point?

Thank you Cautious. You made me chuckle. I never heard that before of why women's feet are smaller. LOL.

Answer 6

I think it is the same with men who think women know how to cook anything and everything! Plus, I see most men acting like their wives or girlfriends have more knowledge when their first child is born.I know I don't have alot of skills I wish I had, but if something comes up I need to know, I learn how to do it or hire it done!

Answer 7

Well, it doesnt hurt to learn some basic skills- it will save you a ton of money over paying a handyman for everything. But if its something that will be expensive if you mess up or dangerous if you dont do it correctly, then call a pro. Seriously screw up something once, and I suspect that your wife's expectations will drop.

Answer 8

I guess my husband's lucky because I can do most of those things you mentioned by myself. He is a good handyman, though, but I end up doing most of the home improvements because I have more time to work on them than he does. He works long hours and is often too tired to want to work on them when he comes home.

Answer 9

For the same reason that so many men expect women to be able to cook!

Answer 10

Same with women and cleaning product commericals. The assumptions are made because they are likely to be true. The average man is more handy than the average women.