Discovery Health :: Tips for Dividing Household Responsibilities

Household Stress

	Tips for Dividing Household Responsibilities With Your Spouse (cont'd) By Keith Epstein Be clear about priorities. Discuss with your partner what you want out of life — and what he does, too. Then work together to be strategic and efficient about how to achieve the goals. Chambliss gives the example of the soccer mom who bemoans spending so much time at games. "If the goal is the Olympics or a scholarship, that's one thing," she says. "But if it's exercise, maybe it's unnecessary and the family can cut some corners." Similarly, she urges parents to think twice before buying huge houses and dogs. "Simplify the household if other things are more important," she says. Explain how you feel. Avoid high drama or bickering, but tell him how the burdens are affecting you. How you feel worn down. Tell him how if he helps you'll have more time for him — and thus a stronger relationship. Persuade — and bring up sex. What do husbands most miss and sacrificing mothers most frequently give up? Sex. Social psychologist Carin Rubenstein suggests telling him about studies showing that husbands who share the household load are happier — for obvious reasons. There's more time for other things! Consider alternatives. In a national survey by the AFL-CIO, half of mothers with a partner say they've opted for working different shifts from their significant others — mirroring research by University of Maryland demographer Harriet Presser. Working odd shifts has advantages — more focused time on the children, and avoiding daycare — but split-shift parents also are exhausted. The point: Other options exist. Get regular free time. Build in a block of time just for yourself — and for your partner — which neither of you has to account for. Whether a few days a month or an hour a week, this can go a long way to assure you of having some time for you!

1 . 2 . 3

Pictures: DCI |

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTERS

Use our Sitemap to find what you need quickly.

HowStuffWorks | TreeHugger | Petfinder | PetVideo | Discovery Education

Visit the Discovery Store: Toys & Games | Telescopes | DVD Sets | Planet Earth DVD | Gift Ideas

By visiting this site, you agree to the terms and conditions
of our Visitor Agreement. Please read. Privacy Policy.
ATTENTION! We recently updated our privacy policy. The changes are effective as of Tuesday, October 30, 2007.
To see the new policy, click here. Questions? See the policy for the contact information.

Copyright © 2008 Discovery Communications, LLC.

The leading global real-world media and entertainment company.