THE HOUSEWORK BATTLEFIELD
The following excerpt is from the self help
psychology book, Be Your Own Therapist.
Men are often just trying to pacify women concerning housework.
Women are usually the ones unhappy about the lack of housework
help from their spouses. Many women fail to see that they
have been overtrained and traumatized as young girls by their mothers. Therefore, they
have all sorts of standards and shoulds which to their spouses
are just simply absurd. (Leaving the microwave door open is more
efficient. Leaving an often-used can opener on the counter is
more efficient. Putting clothes in a drawer makes them less
accessible. Dusting seems irrelevant. Why do the dishes before
clean ones run out? Finally, doing it all so often seems
ridiculous to many men.) Women often fail to assume
responsibility for their unhappiness in this area, demanding
that their spouses change. Instead, I suggest that women try
using two of their strengths, planning and logic.
|
We will never fully understand each other. That is OK, though many think otherwise. |
What planning and logic can accomplish is the training of men
to notice a few things, those things that by joint agreement are
to be the man's responsibility. Beyond those items that become
the man's responsibility, women had best learn to expect and
accept complete obliviousness. Otherwise, a woman may burden her
relationship with added strain because of her unhappy judgments
about what her man should be doing about housework.
Yes, the average man needs to do more housework, but not to the
average woman's standards.
Next Excerpt 
| If you avoid any specific feeling long enough, it will come to dominate you. You will be fearful and live your life as if some shark below were poised for attack. Feel the feeling and that shark disappears.
|
More Excerpts This Chapter
WOMEN & MEN: OUR MASCULINE-FEMININE MISCONCEPTIONS
I WANT A CHEESE SANDWICH
MEN DON'T LISTEN; MEN DON'T COMMUNICATE
LEFT BRAIN - RIGHT BRAIN
THE HOUSEWORK BATTLEFIELD
FRIENDS BETTER KNOW THEIR ROLES
SUPPORT MAY BE DANGEROUS TO RELATIONSHIPS
THE INSENSITIVITY OF MEN
THE SAGA OF JOHN DOE (white male, average guy)
THE INSENSITIVITY OF WOMEN
FEMINISTS ARE A DIVERSE GROUP
This Chapter's Quiz
Book Table of Contents
Sexual Education Psychology
THE HOUSEWORK BATTLEFIELD © 1995-2004