Week 12: Domestic Division of Labor

I was not very surprised by this activity.  My mother was a stay at home mom for most of my life so she took on the tasks that are traditional female roles.  She cooked and cleaned, got us kids to school and sports, and mostly raised us.  My dad worked every day and since he commuted we did not see too much of him.  He was the breadwinner for the family and would do things around the house like fixing things and doing the yard work.  My family fits into the traditional type of family.  My mom did go back to work part time when I got older and some of the tasks could be given to us children.  We helped with meals and laundry when she went back to work but she still took on the majority of the house work.  My dad helped when needed but was content to leave certain things to my mom.  I don't think that my mom ever resented the work she did but it may have been different had she worked full time since I was young.  I think it would be different for families with two working parents.  In that case work should be split evenly with everyone helping in areas that need help.  I think if one parent works less, whether it be the man or woman, they may be expected to do more at home to balance out.  I think each family works differently and they need to find a system that works for them.  If a woman is happy being a homemaker then no one should tell her she needs to work.  If both parents work and divide tasks up a certain way then no one should tell them to change those roles.  I don't think it should be expected of a man or woman to fill a certain role or to perform certain duties.  I support equality in the home in the sense that everyone plays a part and everyone is content with the role they have.