How To Get Your Man To Do Housework

Does Your Man Do Enough Around The House? Or is he a couch potato? Here are some tips on how to get your man to help out around the house.

(From sheknows.com)

As with most things, housework often comes down to communication. Here are some specific recommendations about how to talk to your man about household chores:

In a respectful, loving way ask for what you want.
Make a clear, specific request about exactly what you want or need. Avoid criticisms and judgments such as, “You never do any housework! You’re lazy!” They’ll cause a man to feel either ashamed or angered, and neither result will help your cause.

Present the issue as a problem for which you need help.
But, remember: he is not the problem–getting the housework done is the problem. Allow your man to come up with options and make suggestions.

Leave room for new ideas and a full, honest conversation about housework and related issues.
Stay calm, be open and make yourself listen to him, even if you don’t agree with what he says.

Make it personal.
e.g. “Honey, it would mean a lot to me if you would clean up the dishes on the nights I cook. Would you be willing to take that on?” Be friendly, encouraging and affectionate; engage the heart more than the head.

Don’t call a special meeting to discuss housework.
If you call a special meeting, your man is likely to feel it’s going to be another “relationship talk”, and he will be told what he’s doing wrong. He’ll put up immediate defenses and tune you out or argue with you. Try talking when you are both engaged in another activity, such as gardening or riding in the car.

Above all, don’t belittle or criticize your man for his failings.
Build on all the great things he does, rather than criticizing all he doesn’t do.

Don’t expect massive changes right away.

Men haven’t been expected to do much housework over the last several thousand years and we are making a tough transition to the 21st Century’s brave new world. Applying these ideas in your household will pave the road for incremental changes and increase your man’s participation in housekeeping.

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