Gender Roles in the Kitchen: Readers Weigh in

Then again, some of you aren’t thrilled with how the duties break down in your house:

He expects me to come up with the dinner plan and cook. If I won’t cook that night he will recommend fast food. I used to also do the clean-up after cooking. I’m trying to get him on board with the idea that household chores are to be split evenly by both of us! It’s a slow moving battle. —Katie
My boyfriend and I talk — and sometimes argue — about this a lot. Since we moved in together last year, I have taken on most of the cleaning, including the dishes. He cooks with me just about every night, but the clean up is mostly on me. A lot of times I don’t mind — I’m faster at it than him and really like our place to look neat. Then again, his excuse when I ask why it was me who cleaned the bathroom again is that he “just doesn’t notice.” That seems impossible to me! I never feel unappreciated since he does acknowledge what I do, but I know that when we have kids someday, the clean up with only grow — and that makes me worry! —Kristen
I completely resent my husband for not being competent enough to complete normal necessary tasks involved with rearing our children, such as cooking. —Misty
I think my husband has an expectation that he doesn’t even realize that I will do more of the house work and cooking. He will do things together but dislikes having to do cooking on his own. I think this comes from having a mom who stayed home and then later on worked from home. In our marriage, we both work; and I work more hours on the average week. But he still wants work split equally or with me taking a larger role in the domestic chores. He doesn’t really see the problem with me working a more demanding job and being expected to always be involved with dinner prep and clean-up. —Kate

Do any of these comments ring true for you? Which ones and why? —Kristen