To the married blokes...

[taupe]

which I think some people don't realise needs to be done.

That bit has always puzzled me in house proud folk. The "needs to be done" bit. I genuinely do question that. I wonder what measure or definition is being used. Of course if you like doing it then go for it, knock yourself out, but I don't personally share the sense of urgency that some appear to have (judging by the tv shows, adverts etc)

I'm not having a go or picking on you EB, to each their own and no judgement from me. In fact (in this context) the opposite. Thank you for mentioning it.

Tbh, I'm probably just trying to justify my slovenliness.

 

[tedfoxxx]

This is what I'd be like if I had a wife. I live on my own but am very tidy already, always wiping down work surfaces and doing hoovering. I regularly clean shelves in the fridge, which I think some people don't realise needs to be done.

Bet the time just flies by….

Genuinely one of things I miss most about my life pre having a kid is an uninterrupted Saturday or Sunday morning cleaning, hoovering and laundry session.

 

[tedfoxxx]

This is what I'd be like if I had a wife. I live on my own but am very tidy already, always wiping down work surfaces and doing hoovering. I regularly clean shelves in the fridge, which I think some people don't realise needs to be done.

It’s a great life skill and something that partners don’t take for granted.

 

[give_us_a_wave]

I cook and clean to a high standard every single day and I’ve had word that my wife’s mates compare their husbands and boyfriends to me. I like that.

This is what I'd be like if I had a wife. I live on my own but am very tidy already, always wiping down work surfaces and doing hoovering. I regularly clean shelves in the fridge, which I think some people don't realise needs to be done.

What the actual **** is going on here ?

Nowt wrong with being compared favourably to other women's blokes...but thinking back to my early 30s I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have wanted it to be based on my ability to clean the bog or produce a memorable roast chicken.

I don't recognise my country anymore. Maybe I should get back on the drugs.

 

[homer]

Guardian reading, non-binary Tofu eating wokerati have taken over the ****ing world

Cleaning shelves in the fridge being a great life skill, for the ****ing love of God

****s, the lot of you

 

[tedfoxxx]

What the actual **** is going on here ?

Nowt wrong with being compared favourably to other women's blokes...but thinking back to my early 30s I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have wanted it to be based on my ability to clean the bog or produce a memorable roast chicken.

I don't recognise my country anymore. Maybe I should get back on the drugs.

Guardian reading, non-binary Tofu eating wokerati have taken over the ****ing world

Cleaning shelves in the fridge being a great life skill, for the ****ing love of God

****s, the lot of you

Do you think maybe it’s getting old that’s shit, rather than young people?

 

[give_us_a_wave]

Do you think maybe it’s getting old that’s shit, rather than young people?

It's both.

A perfect storm.

 

[tedfoxxx]

It's both.

A perfect storm.

It’ll tell what is depressing; how bitter and toxic everything has to be. It’s a thread about domestic stuff, nothing more. I don’t know why you’re trying to project something greater on to it but I ain’t your ****ing enemy man.

Here’s me, I’m spite of all the available evidence, trying to be reasonable on the internet, guess you get what you deserve!

 

[camberwell fox]

I am married with two kids.

Confession: I do 75% of the cooking and we ALWAYS have a Sunday dinner as a family.

I probably do 75% of the housework including all of the ironing.

I get home earlier than my wife so it would feel unfair to leave it all to her.

The one thing I can’t do is the emotional bit, my wife is far better at this than me. I am more practical and that’s how I’m wired.

I guess the above is unusual unless others are waiting in the closet?

 

[taupe]

My faith in human nature is restored. Some loveable ****s on here. I remain an unapologetic slob

 

[Payne74]

If the Russians invaded we would be ****ed, where have all the Men gone, wouldn't win a war cleaning the fridge or baking a cake.
Mr T would make you all eat some nuts...

 

[Brown Nose]

My daughter turned 18 a few days ago. She's off to Uni in a couple of months and then married life will change once again.

After more than 20 years married, I would say that what works is what works. You find out each others strengths and weaknesses and, if you're smart about it, you allocate roles and responsibilities accordingly.

In our home, I do all the cooking because I'm better at it and enjoy it, but I've never once used an iron and have no idea how the washing machine works. My wife leads in that department. I fecking hate gardening but I do it all and my wife hates cleaning the house but she does all that. It's give and take.

Bringing up a child/children is incredibly difficult to do well. When both parents work and are preoccupied by life, you can easily allow your child to struggle alone. We've made loads of mistakes but I can honestly say that we've done our best and she seems pretty well adjusted all things considered.

Family life is about putting the needs of others ahead of yourself most of the time but ensuring that you have space/hobbies that give you some time to yourself. Total selfishness or selflessness are dangerous traits.

 

[Robin127]

When I lived on my own, my house was cleaned regularly and my garden, well lawn, and a couple of shrubs were well tended. I've been married over 20 years and the house is a constant mess and I only cut the grass once every couple of weeks. Seems my wife's slobbery has rubbed off on me.

 

[bocadillo]

Do you think maybe it’s getting old that’s shit, rather than young people?

Nope. Getting old is wonderful. People have long since given up any hope of changing your behaviour and just leave you to get on with your own thing. Result!

This idea of cleaning the fridge shelves is rather surprising though. Is it not true that they're designed in such a way that the dirt just falls through and you just have to wipe it up off the bottom glass shelf a couple of times a year? I'm sure Mrs boc can manage that with no assistance from me.

 

[taupe]

As a single bloke, I think a total fridge clean was a rare thing. Maybe annual, I really don't remember. But a little story of fridges....

For ages, I copped the blame for the fridge needing a defrost. My misses would claim I wasn't closing the fridge door properly causing the ice box thing to chock up with ice. It happened a number of times and was of course never her "fault". She was insistant she'd never do that, she always checked. I'm pretty laid back as a rule about 'shit happens' stuff but, tbh, I'd even begun to doubt myself. I'd started to make double sure I was closing it properly. Then I noticed...

We have a dish washer next to the fridge. On rare occasions, when opening the dish washer door it would somehow catch the fridge door just enough for it to partially open. Not always but sometimes, and I still haven't worked exactly how, but I saw it happen - when the misses opened the dish washer. I pointed it out immediately, "check the fridge door, I think it's opened". Sure enough, it had. Have I ever had an acknowledgement, let alone an apology? Have I **** as like.

Then quite recently we were watching some TV program. On it, they had a fridge beside a staircase. When someone came down the staircase, the fridge door would open. The wife would say nothing but get up and close it again. See, I said to silence, weird shit can happen.

 

[camberwell fox]

As a single bloke, I think a total fridge clean was a rare thing. Maybe annual, I really don't remember. But a little story of fridges....

For ages, I copped the blame for the fridge needing a defrost. My misses would claim I wasn't closing the fridge door properly causing the ice box thing to chock up with ice. It happened a number of times and was of course never her "fault". She was insistant she'd never do that, she always checked. I'm pretty laid back as a rule about 'shit happens' stuff but, tbh, I'd even begun to doubt myself. I'd started to make double sure I was closing it properly. Then I noticed...

We have a dish washer next to the fridge. On rare occasions, when opening the dish washer door it would somehow catch the fridge door just enough for it to partially open. Not always but sometimes, and I still haven't worked exactly how, but I saw it happen - when the misses opened the dish washer. I pointed it out immediately, "check the fridge door, I think it's opened". Sure enough, it had. Have I ever had an acknowledgement, let alone an apology? Have I **** as like.

Then quite recently we were watching some TV program. On it, they had a fridge beside a staircase. When someone came down the staircase, the fridge door would open. The wife would say nothing but get up and close it again. See, I said to silence, weird shit can happen.

You are in a lose, lose position.

Her (waiting to be used) answer would be something like “if you did the dishwasher a few more times you fat lazy ****, then perhaps you would have noticed the problem earlier, rather than just blaming me. My alternative hole is now out of bounds until further notice’’

 

[taupe]

I can manage the dish washer. About the sum total of my domestic abilities.

 

[FOX Franks]

My daughter turned 18 a few days ago. She's off to Uni in a couple of months and then married life will change once again.

After more than 20 years married, I would say that what works is what works. You find out each others strengths and weaknesses and, if you're smart about it, you allocate roles and responsibilities accordingly.

In our home, I do all the cooking because I'm better at it and enjoy it, but I've never once used an iron and have no idea how the washing machine works. My wife leads in that department. I fecking hate gardening but I do it all and my wife hates cleaning the house but she does all that. It's give and take.

Bringing up a child/children is incredibly difficult to do well. When both parents work and are preoccupied by life, you can easily allow your child to struggle alone. We've made loads of mistakes but I can honestly say that we've done our best and she seems pretty well adjusted all things considered.

Family life is about putting the needs of others ahead of yourself most of the time but ensuring that you have space/hobbies that give you some time to yourself. Total selfishness or selflessness are dangerous traits.

I'm not married - engaged yes, but not married - and we haven't reached this yet. She spent a lot of time in a relationship where he did very little housework and I've lived alone for ages so we're still sort of working out who does what because we're both used to doing everything.

Most things are 50/50 - I am not sure that's going to work as/when children come along but that's part of the fun isn't it?

 

[FOX Franks]

Nope. Getting old is wonderful. People have long since given up any hope of changing your behaviour and just leave you to get on with your own thing. Result!

This idea of cleaning the fridge shelves is rather surprising though. Is it not true that they're designed in such a way that the dirt just falls through and you just have to wipe it up off the bottom glass shelf a couple of times a year? I'm sure Mrs boc can manage that with no assistance from me.

No, that is not true. Things do not fall through the solid glass shelves.

Might do if you have an older fridge with the wire shelves though, I suppose.

 

[FOX Franks]

What the actual **** is going on here ?

Nowt wrong with being compared favourably to other women's blokes...but thinking back to my early 30s I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have wanted it to be based on my ability to clean the bog or produce a memorable roast chicken.

I don't recognise my country anymore. Maybe I should get back on the drugs.