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Chores
Open House: Least Favorite Fall Chores
Once the season turns, it's time to compile, and check off, all of those necessary Fall chores. From sweeping out gutters to raking up leaves, there's no end to the tasks that need attending to. My least favorite Fall chore is actually scheduling appointments with handymen and carpenters.
Open House: How Do You Pass the Time While Cleaning?
Unless I'm in the mood to clean — hey, it happens sometimes! — I have to keep myself entertained while scrubbing the tub or sweeping the floor, lest I get bored and move on to something else. Sometimes I'll turn on some trashy TV, but I can't really do that when I'm cleaning the bathroom.
Which Housekeeping Task Could You Do Without?
In a dreamworld, most moms would swear off laundry, doing dishes, taking out trash, cleaning toilets and making beds. Aside from the laundry, all the rest of those duties are what makes vacation sound so appealing. Room service can be left in the hallway, toilets are always sparkling and the sheets are fresh and tidy when the family returns from their dip in the atrium pool.
Mommy's Lil Helper: Magnetic Chore Charts
If your child's room looks like a hurricane whipped through it, it may be time for you to enlist the help of your wee ones to get things done around the house. Chores can help take the burden off of mommy and teach the tots a thing or two about responsibility and pride.
Invest in a Melissa and Doug's Magnetic Responsibility Chart ($16) to help keep track of the youngster's accomplishments.
Relationship Protocol: What Chores Do You Do as a Team?
I hate doing chores — what a way to ruin a good weekend or evening! I always get them done, but I do find myself moping through them most of the time. I can certainly see why it’s so appealing to share the burden with someone else or at least have company while you’re stuck doing it.
Did You Do Chores as a Kid?
Growing up, I had to do my share of household chores, as did my siblings, but I definitely have memories of throwing a fit when asked to; I was a spoiled brat at times. We never had an organized system or schedule like a chore chart, and my poor mother did most of the housework. But then again, we did also have a cleaning lady.
Dear Poll: Have You Ever Ratted a Guy Out to His Mom?
Even if a guy isn’t the quintessential mama’s boy, most men with strong ties to their family still have a lot of respect for their moms. In fact, sometimes she’s the only one who can knock some sense into him. My friend recently took this notion to heart when she called her boyfriend’s mom to complain that he wasn’t doing his fair share around the house — of course she subtly dropped that tidbit into a larger conversation, but it did the trick!
Relationship Protocol: Who Puts Dinner on the Table?
Sexual stereotypes in relationships are still alive and kicking no matter how hard we try to fight them. Although it's getting more common for men to help with the housework, it's usually the women who end up picking up after their men. But when it comes to cooking, I think the playing field is a bit more even.
Dear Poll: Are You a List Maker?
Although I’m not a fan of running errands, I am a complete believer in the to-do list or any kind of list for that matter. Sometimes, in a busy day, the only way to keep track of things is to write them down. I even have running lists of movies I want to see and books I want to read.
Relationship Protocol: Household Chores
No matter where or how you live, chores need to be done in every household, and when you live with your significant other, you're one of the lucky ones that has someone to split the grunt work with! Most couples I know divvy up their chores fairly evenly, albeit in a slightly sexist way: The woman makes the bed, does the laundry, and tidies up the house, while the man takes out the trash, does the dishes, and scrubs the toilets. Sounds like a good deal to me!
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