DadTalk

Chores for Men

Are men generally unhappy with house chores or are there certain chores confined only to men?

I come from a tradition where men do less work around the house especially when they marry or enter into a relationship. On the other hand, women have had to take the responsibility of taking care of the home entirely, including childcare. With more women taking on demanding jobs this has seen men taking more of a proactive role in the home. This change in roles can leave men with a sense of dissatisfaction and lost confidence. A study by Ellen Galinsky for the Families and Work Institute indicates that men are increasingly unhappy with helping out around the house.

Is this true?

Since men have begun to spend more time with their children and more hours caring for them, they have less “me” time.

There is also dissatisfaction where men feel that they are not used to the extra work that comes about when couples start sharing household chores. The study indicates that where a mother is working men are unhappy because they’re actually taking on more work and helping around the house, despite the fact that they also have to work full-time in most cases.

Galinsky also found that in 2008 59% of the dads in two-earner couples are conflicted over the work-life balance, versus just 35% of men in 1977. In the same period, 45% of the mums in dual-income families reported feeling conflicted (an increase of just 5%, which the authors say is not statistically significant.)

One positive outcome is that men are now spending more time with their children and more hours caring for them which has contributed to less relationship tensions, from their partners. The percentage of men caring their children has increased from 21% in 1992 to 31% in 2008, notes Galinsky. We may be seeing less stress among women because they have more help from their husband however there is still dissatisfaction from men since they have had to give up some of their “me” time.

What do our 21st century Dads think? Are you a Dad who does the household chores but hates it? Or don’t you mind? Share your thoughts with us at DadTalk.