I can not escape the ever present chores needing to be completed. I have found that the easiest way to get the cleaning finished on a regular basis without being completely exhausted is to do a few Monday through Friday leaving Saturday and Sunday free. I find this method to work great.
If you don’t remember how I feel about cleaning, check out The Tale of a Clean House.
Anyway, lately with my overly tired condition which I’m not going to worry about even though I keep thinking about it, I haven’t felt like cleaning.
I know, I know, don’t faint.
I don’t want anything dirty, but I am too tired to clean.
My husband doesn’t clean the house. He thinks his job is to dirty it so that I can clean it. I think he is still stuck in some kind of time warp where women were a man’s servant. Well, that’s how it feels anyway.
About twenty years ago I went to the Plano Balloon Festival in Plano, Texas. I love watching hot air balloons and hearing the rush of the air and fire filling the HUGE parachute type balloons..
It is so exciting just thinking about it!
At the balloon festivals, there are always vendors selling homemade crafts. At one such event, I purchased a wooded figure holding a heart that says, “Housework makes you ugly.”
The heart is cute, the doll is basically…ugly…on purpose. I mean really, look at her atrocious hair!
She is always staring at me from the kitchen as a reminder that each time I clean, I take on the uglies. It’s true! I do things like put my hair up in a barrette so it won’t hang down in the toilet or get in my way to see when I bend to dust the furniture. Don’t you do that too? When I vacuum the baseboards, it is work! Often I am sweating because I’m trying to hurry and get it done before I poop out. Cleaning baseboards, air conditioning vents and washing windows is manual labor and exercise. Did I ever tell you that I don’t like exercising?
It would be so much easier if my husband was motivated to do chores. My stepfather and brother-in-law not only do chores, but they cook! My husband doesn’t get the hint. I have almost given up on finding a way to encourage his participation in home cleanliness. I feel doomed to a lifetime of being a maid. Surely that isn’t why I was put on this earth! So if you have some suggestions, short of hiring someone else, living in filth or banishing him from the house, I am very excited to hear them.
What do you think I can do to effectively convince him to clean too? How do you motivate your spouse to help you out and pick up their own mess? Is this just a basic trait of all men from his generation? I wonder if George Clooney is neat and tidy because if not, that would sure wreck my fantasy!
Bethany says
Wait….I'm supposed to clean the air conditioning vents?!
My husband goes through spurts where he will help clean, and then spells where he does't lift a finger.
Mmmm…George Clooney in an apron with a feather duser….
Thanks for visiting my blog!
Oh Sew Good says
"It would be so much easier if my husband was motivated to do chores."
hahahahaha hahahahahah hahahahaha hahahahah hahahahah hahahahah hahahahah I share the same thought. hahahahahaa hahhahahaha hahahahahah
Well it's either laugh my head off or cry my eyes out. I choose laughter.
Until tomorrow, Jennifer says
My hubbs is wonderful…he cleans WHEN HE wants to. if its up to him he would throw everything out. I agree with your sign…housework does make you look ugly…you sweat which causes breakouts…stain your clothes and break nails!! looking forward to your posts…following from twitter moms
Indigo says
Paul is a musician…um that's about it. I can change out pipes under the sink, and all the rest. Oh yeah, housework too. If I get sick guarantee you there will be a kitchen full of dishes waiting and a ton of laundry. The amazing thing is I can't figure out the dishes. The man doesn't cook. He'll come to me rubbing his stomache like a small child complaining he's hungry. (Hugs)Indigo
Mrs. Addison says
"I don't want anything dirty but I'm too tired to clean." Umm, that pretty much describes me! 🙂 I need one of those signs for my house too.
Sharon says
When I was in the condition which you might be in at the time and was on doctor's orders to rest is when my husband discovered that he really LIKES doing things like cleaning, cooking, laundry and grocery shopping. I have been told that he is a charm and I am really blessed to have him. TRUE! On the other hand having grown up a military brat, then served in the Army myself I kind of had cleanliness and order drilled in to me. He doesn't SEE dirt and could care less if the socks and underwear are folded. The result is a happy (most of the time) compromise where I look beyond the rapidly reproducing dust bunnies that hop out and attack at any given moment and see the love and care that he provides. My DD is grown and married now, but DH continues to help out all the time. I guess they either have it or they don't!
Brow Raised Beauty says
I could hug you because after the day I've had, I pretty much want to cry and you are making me want to laugh and laugh and laugh. Thank you for sharing and being so hilarious!!
I certainly think cleaning pee up off of the carpet during potty training makes me ugly…but I think a new dress would have helped.
How do I get my guy to clean? HAhahahaHAoooohhh…um, I'm not sure…he…does…that…much…I think I just peed a little. I don't know, bribery?
Either way, following you now:) Would love if you'd follow me too…
xBRB
natalee says
okay dont laugh.. but i started this new thing…when hubby cleans up ..or does someting chorish i reward him..(wink wink) like a doggy gettin a treat.. hopefully this works..ill let u know..lol
Teresha@Marlie and Me says
nagging works for me. I've been complaining about the crushing weight of housework and baby-caring for almost a month now. I hate sounding like a broken record, but this morning he finally asked me what chores he could do…grab a broom!
Sara McArthur says
I haven't tried this yet, but I have heard that if you do chores together naked it tends to make husbands a little more motivated 😉
What Was I Thinking? says
I wish that I had a suggestion for you, but I don't…
I've accepted that once I got married, I was relegated to being a servant and 24 hour maid and now that I am staying home while my husband goes out and “kills the game…” I'll probably be the primary chore doer in our household.
From time to time…sex will motivate him, but it doesn't last that long and if you’re too tired to clean, you may (like me) be too tired to have the amount of sex necessary to get everything done.
Good Luck
c8tln says
My husband is retired and he has to be told what has to be done. I have to nag and nag him. One day I asked him if he would clean the floors. We have hardwood and stone tile in the kitchen. I went in the kitchen later on, and he asked what did I think of the floor. I said it looks good, what about the rest of the floors. He said was I suppose to do the others. I thought you just meant this floor. I said no I said floors with an s on the end of floor.