Jyoti Shekar
Have you ever faced this age old issue of who is going to do the dishes, especially when both you and your partner have come home after a hectic, crazy day at work?
Since time immemorial, it has been the lady’s job to ensure that the house is clean and there is hot food on the table, and of course, not to mention clean clothes. Until recently, you could see clothes / dish-washing detergent advertisements being gender biased, with the man being clueless and the lady responsible for everyone’s clothes in the house.
But this is far from the truth in urban households today. Men do step up and help their working wives in a lot of places. They are no longer jibed and called ‘joru ka ghulam‘ for doing their bit to maintain the house where they both live. Having said that, I also know certain couples where the husband and wife come back home, the husband heads straight for the TV remote and the wife heads to the kitchen to make tea for both. To such people – why don’t you surprise your wife by making her a cup of tea, letting her rest her tired feet on the couch for once?
All said and done, women are stronger in determination, but weaker in physique than the husband. So if anyone is better equipped to take care of office and home, it is the man.
Cleanliness and food are two essential things which are important for everyone. Be it any gender, everyone needs clean clothes, decent house and hot food. So why not pitch in to make it happen. In earlier days, there was proper division of labour, where men would go to work and women would stay home and take care of household duties. But these days, with more and more women joining the workforce, it is imperative that chores be divided fairly and done equally.
This is not a favour to the wife, this is not to be called a “good husband”. This is to simply pull your weight around, and be useful. After all, in this day and age, both men and women need to know every aspect of living in order to sustain their efficiency and happiness.
Also, do teach your sons to do the same. Girls go out to hostels and work outside and are able to maintain their health, their homes and have a well-rounded life. But men are not able to even make a comforting meal at home, simply because their parents didn’t think it necessary to teach them how to survive. Why this atrocity towards men? Let them be self-sufficient. Let them also fly. Let them also learn to maintain a healthy and clean lifestyle, and wear clean clothes.
So ladies, please love your husbands and sons enough to teach them to survive without you or anyone else who is supposed to enter your house, if and when your son gets married. Teach them to be self-reliant and proud of their accomplishments. After all, cooking is an art and food is why we earn money and struggle in the first place!!
Eyra 