Oh! I have to do the laundry

We live in a society where every household work has to be done by a woman, whether she is a housewife or a working woman, it doesn’t matter. Every work, whether it is cleaning of house, cooking, washing the utensils or doing the laundry. There is nothing like sharing of household work in most of the households of India.

I have seen this being practiced almost everywhere, men of the family are always absorbed in their newspaper or TV, relaxing and getting food served on time and at last in going out. Even as per surveys, 2/3rd Indian men prefer to watch TV than to the laundry. I have never seen my father or my father-in-law helping their better halves in doing any household work. This is the scenario in almost all the households but it is not that exceptions are not there. There are very few people who help in the household chores, that too they would be ashamed to accept that because people will make fun of them. This is the mindset of general public.

But this is the case with mostly the elder generation because today’s generation is a little bit moderate in their thinking. Today’s husbands do help their wives in household chores but coming to accepting this fact is still not there. But still there are many males who are just like the males of their elder generation because they have grown up seeing the same in their houses.

But in my case, my husband is not very rigid in such matters. He helps me in every possible way when he is asked to. Sometimes he helps in cleaning (sweeping and even mopping) the house. He will chop the vegetables and sometimes even cook. There are times when I say “today you prepare breakfast or dinner”, and he will readily oblige and there are times when he will say a direct NO.

It is a ground rule that women have to do all the household work. There are 77% of Indian men who depend on women for doing the laundry. Regarding doing the laundry work, like every household it is my work. Generally I have to do the laundry work but if I ask hubby dear to do that he will do that. He will do the washing, rinsing and spinning work on the semi-automatic washing machine but when it comes to drying the clothes, he will ask me to do that. The thing is that he is embarrassed of spreading the clothes in the balcony. He never gave this reason but actions speak louder than words and I know that he feels embarrassed in spreading the clothes for drying.

All the helps which I get from hubby is only when I ask for it, there is merely any voluntary help. I still dream of that day when I will be woken up in the morning by my hubby with a hot steaming breakfast waiting for me to be served. I don’t know if it will ever come true.

I think this is the general attitude of people here. Mainly people have to start changing their prejudiced attitude and mind-set, only then we can see a change in our society. And men, please, you have to stop feeling embarrassed and start accepting the fact that you help your better half in doing the household chores. It is a great thing if you are helping your wife, it makes life easier and happier for the couple. And for those of you who don’t help your wife, please, at least try once and see the happiness on your wife’s face.

I am writing for #IsLaundryOnlyAWomansJob activity at BlogAdda.com in association with Ariel.

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