How to Divide Household Responsibilities

Many households today have an unfair and unbalanced division of duties. Tasks are either the “man’s job” or the “woman’s job,” and a happy medium is nowhere to be found. For many, the division of responsibility is gender-based. The woman cooks, cleans, gardens, raises the children and balances the checkbook, while the man takes out the garbage. A household needs balance, and part of that balance comes from the sharing of household duties. Wondering how to find that balance? Read on.

Things You'll Need

• A partner who is willing to help
• A list of chores
• An appreciation for individual gifts and talents

Instructions

1. Make a list of household duties. Include everything you can think of, from cleaning the bathroom to walking the dog.

2. Make a list each partner’s strengths and weaknesses. This will give each of you better idea of what should be done by whom.

3. Divide responsibilities according to each person's strengths. If one partner has great financial sense, then she should handle the checkbook. If one is great with animals, he should handle anything pet-related.

4. Consider which chores each one of you doesn’t mind doing, or possibly even enjoys. Then assign those responsibilities accordingly.

5. Evenly distribute the jobs no one wants to take on. Even the duties everyone hates need to be performed.

6. Step back and survey the results. If the workload still seems unbalanced, be willing to go back and tweak it.

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t allow household responsibilities to become a source of tension in the home. We all have things we don’t want to do and don’t like to do, but they still need to be done. Be mature about it and be willing to help out when needed. We’re all adults here.