I'd go on strike!
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
United States
June 4, 2007 11:57am CST
A friend of mine is always complaining that her out of work husband won't do anything around the house, not even put out the trash.
Really, I can't understand why she's making a big deal of it.
Doesn't she know, that if you didn't expect your husband to clean while he had a job, that he won't feel the need to do so, even if he's not working.
It's basic!
Guys only do what they have to do. And, if they can get away with having you do it all for them, then they will.
I told her that she should go on a housecleaning strike. Once he has to make his own meals, and cook his own food, and wade through a mountain of dirty clothes, just to find socks and a shirt, he'll probably change his tune.
7 people like this
15 responses
@speedy1279 (2665)
• United States
4 Jun 07
I agree, she should go on strike. I think some woman make it too easy on thier husbands. Then when they finally see the light and get tired of them being lazy, its too late. That's when they start complaining. I had this problem with my first husband. I was in love (so I thought) and pampered, spoiled, etc. my husband. Boy was that a big mistake. So one day I just stopped. I flat told him I was tired of his lazyness and I wasn't doing it no more. It worked at first but then he got worse and I divorced him!
1 person likes this
@teison2 (5921)
• Norway
4 Jun 07
I would love for it to work that way, but I am not sure that it does work for most. My partner has become the best mate ever when it comes to housework - he does about 60 % of what I used to do. he does it because he have to because I am ill. before I got ill I tried what you suggested. It did nothing other than make mne mad and frustrated because I had to live in a pig sty. His tolerance for dirt and mess is sooooo low.
1 person likes this
@pumpkinjam (8758)
• United Kingdom
7 Jun 07
That's a great theory but I know plenty of men who would eat take-away all the time, tread through 12 inches of mud, and wear the same underwear for a year before even noticing that you've gone on strike, let alone do anything about it!
My partner is a bit useless around the house but I am slowly "training" him! He does work but he is home plenty of time. I'm trying to get him to realise that I can't do everything by myself. He is one of the few men who doesn't want to live in a mess and changes his clothes twice a day but he will complain until the end of time about the house been messy if it bothers him but he won't do anything about it, no matter what.
@maryannemax (12156)
• Sweden
4 Jun 07
glad that my boyfriend isn't like that. even if he works, he is still willing to help me with chores and almost every except cleaning since he finds it boring. i hope most men are like him in some ways.
@jolenegreen (1209)
• United States
7 Jun 07
Great Idea!!!! LOL. I know of a women who did this and she regreted it later becuase then she had TONS of housework to do. Hubby got laid off and wouldnt help her while he was on layoff. So she quit doing everything all together. WELL.....this didnt phase hubby any...he still didnt do anything, LOL. SO finally sh had to jump on track and get her house back together. LOL. My husband.....he doesnt help out either, he also complains if our house starts to get messy or if our laundry gets behind. It gets sooo irritating becuase I work FULLTIME TOO, not just him, u know?
1 person likes this
@maryannemax (12156)
• Sweden
4 Jun 07
i say, your friend should try and talk to her husband first. tell him how she feels about the whole situation. somehow, men understand, too. it's just on how we talk to them and solve matters with them. if he won't listen, it's the right time to go on strike. that's the best thing to do it and solve the problem!
@jbones32103 (717)
• United States
5 Jun 07
Ha. Ha. That sounds like something I would do. If my husband didn't help me, I wouldn't make things easy on him either. A marriage is a partnership in which both parties should help each other be happy in all areas. I agree, go on strike.
@chaime (1152)
• Philippines
4 Jun 07
Hahaha.. I think you should also try to understand that as guys tend to try to get away with doing nothing, us girls are prone to complain. I think we complain about everything. If your friend loves and knows her husband, she should have known that her hubby wouldn't touch the trash if he can get away with it, and I think she knows him well enough, either put up with it or learn to cajole your husband into doing stuff for you. ^_^
@sojournseeker (1244)
• United States
5 Jun 07
Hey now thats a pretty darn good idea but he is already not working, living the better life, think this temporary punishment would really put him back in place of an empathic individual instead of just a sympathetic freeloader ?
'Trainable' is not a useable appropriate term for humans, male or female, but cutting them apron strings sure does get the message out there no matter how long they can wear that darn black shirt and blue jeans . . .
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
4 Jun 07
If husband have no job and no money, we women have to strive harder to make ends meet.
Let the men wear the skirt and the women wear the pants. Fussing over the household chores won't solve the problem.
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
4 Jun 07
I have to disagree with you. My husband is very helpful around our house and he works about 50 hours a week. I think that your friends husband is doing nothing because she has always done all the work and hasn't expected him to help. She needs to tell him that now that he isn't working she would like him to do some of the work around the house. Especially if she is working and he is home. I would suggest that she have a discussion with him that he either go out and find a new job, or do some help around the house.
@professorxang (201)
• United States
5 Jun 07
sorry but i am a man and i feel that this is wrong.
if you not work a job then you need to contribute to house.
if you not work then you need to clean house.
becase if one does all work to support outside house then the other needs to show appreciation by doing the housework and besides if you not have job you have plenty of time.
i say this for men as well as women. if you do not work, then you should do housework as it is only fair to the other who works butt off at work everyday.
@mikaelasmom (51)
• United States
5 Jun 07
wow that really sucks that he doesnt clean. I personally couldnt be with someone that doesnt clean up after himself even partial of the time! it would drive me nuts! dont get me wrong, i do tend to pick up after my boyfriend but to make things easier for me, if i see him start to walk away from his mess, i point it out to him. Also, we have had talks about this because it use to be worse! My advice would be to have a heart to heart with him and im sure being her husband he'll see that its a genuine concern and hopefully be more aware of picking up after himself!
@Married2aMarine (1273)
• United States
4 Jun 07
It's true. Your friend shouldn't complain. She's only enabling her husband by doing everything around the house. Sometimes, a housecleaning strike doesn't work. Most men can get by easier than women when it comes to cleanliness, state of the house, etc. End up only giving yourself a heart attack! LOL!! I would suggest a heart to heart talk and decide on what each other's daily/weekly chores will be. That's how hubby and I worked things out. I told him I'm his wife, not his maid and that he'll need to chip in around the house even though he has a FT time and I'm "just" a stay at home mom..which of course, is more than a FT job but most guys don't see that.
