Funny thing about housework is that the more you do, the more you want to do, and that the less you do the less you want to do.

l, a mere male, was schooled in housework from the age of 12. All the kids did housework. Everyhing from washing dishes, to cleaning the oven, fridge, toilet, shower, bathroom, to mowing lawns and washing windows. When l moved out of home at 22 l used to automatically spend saturday mornings cleaning. Did that for a few years and then gradually stopped. Now, in my late 30s, apart from cooking and the basics (l live alone) l barely do any cleaning at all.

And you know wot... my world hasn't stopped turning. My clothes are clean enough and so is the house. Sure, l cant eat off the floors and dust has become my new best friend, but... shock horror... my quality of life and standard of living have not declined. In fact they have IMPROVED. Not wasting my time cleaning clean surfaces and instead spending this short life doing the things that really matter, like living.

How do all those people who live in 3rd world countries with their not very clean mud and grass huts manage to have a fulfilling life, which many of them do, sans the 'high' standard of westernised living?

Sometimes l suspect that home makers spend a lot of time filling out an 8 hour day with 2 hours worth of work. There is a concept in managerial economics that says the amount of time taken to do a job will expand to fill the time alloted to that task. This attitude permeates the paid workforce, so l doubt that it doesnt also dominate the unpaid workforce. It all about rationalising one's contribution.

Its rather tedious that this article comes across as a predictable smoke screen for the us/them nonsense of gender politics. Quoting Prue Goddard is, to my mind, all l need to see in an article to appreciate that their is an underlying gender politics agenda.

Is it my fault that some people clean too much? The world aint gonna stop if the house keeping is substantially reduced. In fact it may free up one's time to actually get involved and make a real difference. Shiney floors and fragrant, neatly pressed shirts just dont make the world go around.

If Prue has her way and there is an accounting of housework where it is priced and it becomes a normal practice to keep household ledgers and scorecards, there is going to be a huge shift out of the factories and offices into households. Guys like me, are never going to give up 'keeping' house (and the flexibility of working from home) because its a bit of a walk in the park compared to the alternative.

Trade,
Ever wondered why women’s TV shows start about 10 am and finish about 3 pm.

Between 8 am (when the children go off to school) and 10 am (when the TV shows start), is when the housework is done.

When the children come home from school about 3 pm, the children’s programs begin, and between 3 pm and about 8 pm, the children watch TV, (which is termed child caring).

So if someone wants to learn about what the average person does, just ask a commercial TV executive. Better to ask them, then asking someone from the Sex Discrimination Commission.

Timkins,

dont know that l would classify daytime tv as generically 'womens tv' tho it is certainly the sort of tv that destroys braincells. Mind numbing, glib, cliched, gossipy, consumer muck. No way to spend any part of the day. l work from home and its very easy to get distracted, but l draw the line at watching crappy daytime tv. Its the cardinal sin of productivity in my book. It really epitomises why its called an idiot box.

My wife is aware of sex discrimination.I like her awareness.She has many demands about households that I try to meet up.But she does not want to discuss with me about sex discrimination seriously.She loves TV progammes of her choice those I do not like for a longer hours.But I do not want to disturb her.I have purchased a separate TV of my own.
I enjoy TV programme of my choice.We never like to travel alone.Above and all we love each other.She knows very well when I feel bored inspite of sex discrimination awareness.When you have good understanding it serves all purpose.