Science Proves Women Work More Than Their Share -- Here’s How Men Can Step It Up

Posted on 1/19/2023, 9:27:07 AM

In our modern-day world, it is not uncommon for both the man and the woman of the house to have their own separate careers. This is a big change from the traditional thinking that suggests that the man should be the bread-winner. And though we are ecstatic at the leaps in the job field for women, we are not thrilled by the number of working hours women are putting in compared to men. 

According to the results of a 2018 study done by the Department of Labor, the average woman works longer each day than their male counterparts when household duties are factored in on top of their workdays. 

Working hours consist of two types of labor: job labor and home labor. Home labor is classically viewed as ‘women’s work’ and consists of duties such as cooking, cleaning, and mothering. However, with women nowadays spending eight or more hours with their careers, is it really fair that they have to do all the home labor on top of that? 

Here’s how men can step it up a little and help lighten their wife’s load:

Cook Meals

In all of the classic TV shows of the mid-1900s, a standard image of the perfect housewife is sure to be present. And that image has lived much longer than it should have. This long-lived image of the woman in the kitchen, cooking a grand meal every night, is no longer relevant considering the career duties that women have adopted on top of their domestic ones previously established. 

Nowadays, women are lucky to be able to give their family a square meal between work, running to appointments, doing the laundry, and picking their children up from soccer. Furthermore, families that have the chance to eat together every night are considered lucky. Mealtime in the modern day is not a priority for most busy families. 

But, the children need to eat! And with the man’s help after work to assist, mealtime with family could be resurrected. Having a partner to help with the meal-prep and side duties while making a meal will not only put dinner on the table more efficiently, but it will also help lighten the load of the woman’s duties. 

Clean the House

Nobody likes to clean. But, it’s something that needs to be done in order to maintain a household. Cleaning takes a lot of time when it’s done by only one person. And it takes even more time if the house is neglected for days at a time. 

Dividing the cleaning duties between you and your partner and having a structured system of organization can help to make cleaning your house a piece of cake. Twenty minutes every day of tidying will allow you to live in a stress-free environment of cleanliness.

Take Notice

Taking notice is something women are instinctually good with. They are born with the power of observation. And when they see something that is a little off, out-of-place, or wrong, they fix it. 

This is where men could certainly step it up! If men learn to notice little details around the house such as a full trashcan, the dishwasher being done and ready to be emptied, the oil light on in the family minivan, they would be able to take the steps necessary to solve these small issues. 

Though the issues are normally small, they add up, especially when it’s one person dealing with them. If two people in the household practice active observance, maintain the house becomes a piece of cake. 

Play “Daddy”

Just like taking notice, women are also maternal and nurturing by nature. This is why many times women are the ones to rock their child to sleep after they wake up from a bad dream and to make doctor’s appointments when their child is not feeling well. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Men are more than capable of skipping a day of work to chaperone a child’s field trip or driving the carpool to basketball practice. The heavy workload that parenthood demands should not be the responsibility of one parent. Both parents should divvy up the duties so that it is fair and equal. 

To Learn More…

Owning a house, having children, and having a career seems impossible some days! But with the help of your partner, it becomes a lot more manageable. Check out our nonfiction book summary on “Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have too Much to Do (and More Life to Live)” by Eve Rodsky to find out how you can have more fair play in your household.