Housework is the drudgery that makes our everyday lives run smoothly. Clean clothes to wear to work and school, dishes to eat off of and a (mostly) hygienic environment to live in are just a few of the reasons that we do housework. No matter your home situation, or just how messy you think you are, everyone spends at least some time on housework. Here are five eye-opening facts that might make you look at your chores a little differently!
5. It Used to Be Harder
When people say housework now, we generally know what they’re referring to, but even in the poorest environments in the first world, these chores no longer involve washing laundry by hand, hauling wood, tending an ever-present fire or cooking everything from scratch. Up until the 1940s, everything that was done at home was done by hand, from scratch by either a member of the household or servants. Even now there are tons of hacks that can help you make your housework quicker and easier than it has ever been.
4. Women Still Do More
Most women these days work outside the home, and even in the cases where the woman does not she is often now referred to as a stay-at-home-mom, not a housewife. That is an important shift in language which reflects the fact that a woman may stay home to care for her children, but she is likely not staying home simply to keep house for her husband. However, statistics still show that although men think they do just as much housework as women, they still do not. Interestingly, even when women are working outside the home, they still do more housework, almost across the board.
3. The More, the Better
Studies and polls show that, across the board, the real way to a woman’s heart is housework. Married women, especially those who were also parents, said that the number one thing that their husband could do to better their relationship was to do more housework. It has also been shown that men who perform more homemaking tasks, get more action in the bedroom.
2. Chores are an Important Skill for Kids
Children who are expected to do age appropriate housework starting at a young age aren’t just helping out their families; they’re learning vital skills about teamwork and attention to detail. Children who pitch in and help with the daily family chores are also happier because they feel that they’ve made a contribution to the family group. Kids also will, hopefully, move away and live on their own, so it’s important that they know the basics about how to cook, clean and launder their clothes.
1. Clutter is the Culprit
Americans love stuff. We love to collect it, we love to hoard it, but sadly, all that stuff eventually has to be cleaned! The National Soap and Detergent Association (yes, that’s a thing) reports that if we got rid of our clutter the time spent on housework could be cut by nearly 40%. So think about that next time you’re considering a trip to the flea market!
