Nudists
The Hubster and I just had a minor spat. Whenever he is annoyed about something he tries to be proactive and correct it. This sounds like a good idea in theory, but when “correcting” a problem is actually trying to assign it to me, it doesn’t go over so well.
Laundry is a huge sticking point in our home, we BOTH despise it. Today the Hubster tried to tell me that I should be running 1 to 2 loads a day (pausing for canned laughter). In addition to washing and drying, I should fold and immediately put away these two loads of laundry a day. This was all tipped off by his empty underwear drawer. I refrained form reminding him about how things went when laundry was soley HIS chore. I was on bed rest and could not reach into the washer or squat down to load and unload the dryer, the result? I HAD NO CLEAN UNDERWEAR. NONE, no really. And his argument was that I didn’t need them since I was on bed rest! Now this man HAS clean underwear, I just did not get around to folding them yesterday (one of my SELF assigned laundry days) because I had therapy in the evening. He was home with the kids and if *I* am expected to be able to juggle the kids and chores why couldn’t he pitch in and fold?
He then took the tack of labor division
“How is it fair that the outside of the house and the construction of the house are both 100% mine but then you expect the chores to be 50/50 and you expect me to always help out with the kids” Here is where I really chewed his ass. I pointed out that every time I offer to mow the lawn he tells me he would rather do it. He then interrupts with, but if you do the lawn then I have to watch the kids.. um duh? Who do you think is watching them while YOU mow it? Next he tries to complain about how the laundry is akin to drywalling and insulating the addition on the house. He was bewildered when I started laughing at him.
“Why is that funny? You know how much those jobs suck and you expect me to do them, they are like MY laundry. I hate them”
“In 6 months, Hubster, YOUR “laundry” will be over, mine won’t”
realizing he’s painted himself a corner, “You know what I mean”
“Are you suggesting that in 6 months we’ll become nudists and my laundry woes will be over?”
I’m chalking this one up to Man-PMS, typically my Hubster is incrediably patient and helpful. Though, if he doesn’t get over this fast he’s going to wind up washing, drying and folding his own skivvies.
May 24th, 2006 at 2:46 pm
grrrrrl, I could have WRITTEN this post. we used to have “he does the outside of the house & the structure, I do the inside”, but it wasn’t working. but, at the same time, he thinks it isn’t fair.
obviously, I am right and he is wrong. heh.
May 24th, 2006 at 3:00 pm
I better kiss my husband long and hard tonight - he did all the laundry while I was away this weekend, on top of watching the baby, and I whole slew of other chores. I came home to a clean house, and a happy baby. Dylan and I had gone away to party with friends. How sweet is that?
May 24th, 2006 at 4:04 pm
OH GOD! I don’t know how many times we’ve had THIS EXACT ARGUMENT! “just do a load a day and you’ll stay caught up!” They act like they’re experts but then when mom goes out for night leaving a clean house I WILL ALWAYS come home to a disaster! ONE NIGHT AWAY and it all goes to hell! WTF!
And before you chew me out for not talking to you today…I can’t…no i really can’t! My voice is totally shot from coughing all night! ICK! So leaving you a comment is the next best thing!
May 24th, 2006 at 4:12 pm
Karen, we will kick your ass now. LOL, I’m JUST KIDDING!
Oh, yes, I know how the laundry situation is. We both hate it at our house too. Good thing my son is 9 now. It’s his job.
HA HA!! I knew I had kids for a reason!
May 24th, 2006 at 4:15 pm
We used to have these conversations. Only ours were “It’s your turn to get up with the kids.” Every single Saturday morning. We still fight over who gets to take weekend naps. I think it’s a we-had-kids-in-our-20s-and-we’re-still-
immature-ourselves thing.
May 24th, 2006 at 4:51 pm
I know I have it lucky with a hubby that does the outside AND the inside, plus some of the cooking, but sometimes I wish I had more help with the thinking part, like Motherhood Uncensored posted about today. However, I have to fight to KEEP laundry. Apparently, like dusting, that’s another activity I don’t do that well, so Hubby tries to take it over to do it “right” which isn’t right. My way is right. I’ve bitten his head off enough about doing laundry he now knows to leave it alone. He still bitches about no undies, so I just bought enough that there’s always some in rotation. Same with socks.
Oh that delicate balance.
May 24th, 2006 at 5:01 pm
Laundry SUCKS. I pretty much do all of it and hate every minute of it!
May 24th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
Oh I’m glad I am not alone!~
May 24th, 2006 at 6:03 pm
We have the same problem. And I hate to say it but he’s right about the load a day. (It’s nearly impossible to do, but it works.) I only fold and put away the kid clothes immediately. Hubby and I watch tv and fold our own clothes after the kid is down for the night. He just doesn’t get that it feels like prison to be inside with kid while he soaks up the sun mowing. After all, I’ve been in with the kid all week, month, year.
May 24th, 2006 at 6:26 pm
Wow, the universal husband/wife argument.
Except I probably wouldn’t have played so nice. I probably would have tried to cram his dirty underwear up his arse. Right beside the stick that he seemed to have shoved up there. (But your hubs is probably less annoying than mine when it comes to this argument. Or maybe my temper is just shorter….)
May 24th, 2006 at 7:05 pm
LOL- i’m good with bitch slapping people when they need it. let me? lol
May 24th, 2006 at 7:45 pm
We always try to do a load a day or every other day but it’s nearly impossible since we both hate it with a passion. So we always end up bitching about it and doing about 4-5 loads in one day :-{ LoL
May 24th, 2006 at 9:10 pm
I have given up on trying to get laundry done during the day. If I attempt to fold, Conor unfolds as fast as I fold (if not faster). If I attempt to put away, Conor is destroying part of the home. I now wait to put laundry away until right before bedtime and then hand dh’s clothes to him and say, “Here, put these away.”
May 26th, 2006 at 4:05 am
My husband will wash & dry all the laundry, but he will dump all the clothes on the couch and just leave them there.. he said since he washed/dryed them.. I have to fold & put away..
By the time it all gets done, everything is wrinkled (aahhhh).. Also, he takes everything out about 15 minutes too soon so almost everything needs put back in the dryer..
When I do it I stand at the dryer and fold everything and keep it on top..each kid has their own pile & I put everything else away (mornings work better when they can just grab something off there!