Depends on the couples…there’s a couple my husband and I get together with frequently. The two guys are in the same profession. It’s guaranteed that, after dinner is over, work talk will come up. Cleaning the kitchen is sometimes a welcome escape for the ladies… ;-)
Family dinners like Christmas are always like this at my in-law’s. I’ve never seen any of the guys ever do anything. So every now and again I draft my husband into dish drying as an example to others.
I don’t understand it at all. The family I came from, the person who cooked was exempt from having to clean up.
My in-laws are like this too, GuntotingLiberal. But then again, I feel like his family (or maybe his country) is about 20 years behind the US. They’re just very traditional in their roles, even though they are more modern in their beliefs, if that makes sense. His mother reminds me of how the stereotypical housewife was in the 50’s, and his father didn’t have anything to do with the kids or home issues until my husband became an adult. However, there’s no way my father-in-law would even care what the women are talking about, so at least Ted is being astute (for once).
As a kiddo, I always snuck away to read; I didn’t really care who was doing what downstairs. However, my family kept the traditional “women do it all and men do nothing” plan. As an adult, we meet at my sister’s home for holidays. I fight to help her clean up, but she won’t allow it. So I just keep her company and visit while she does it. (My husband doesn’t fight for the privilege at all; he’s content to go visit with his brother-in-law in the den.) Meanwhile, my daughter keeps an eye on her children. So I guess it works out, but it’s not the traditional way.
On the other hand, I come from a long line of very, very bad cooks, so it’s a good thing I married a good one. (I was nine years old before I learned that french toast wasn’t supposed to be blackened.) Otherwise, we’d live on cereal and Pop Tarts - the two things I can prepare. So in everyday life, my hubby cooks and I try to keep up with the dishes. Maybe holidays are supposed to be weird?
Thanks to all who gave me leads on my missing commentator. I’ve noted those names. I’m leaning towards something like DEDWARD. The horn avatar was a tuba, I believe. He’s usually early (I’m Central time) and is usually on this comic. Where I really like him is on the political ones, as he seems to be a voice of reason when the rants start.
Usually, I get my brothers, hubby & sons to carry everything into the kitchen. Once it is in there, then one or more of the women handle loading the dishwasher & putting away leftovers. My hubby is great at helping cook, but not cleaning. It is hard to have guys doing the cleaning when they don’t know where anything goes, etc.
I’m very anal-retentive about my dishes (how they’re either loaded in the dishwasher or hand-washed) and don’t trust anyone – not even my husband – to do things the way I like them so I’m always the only one doing the cleaning up in my kitchen.
Rmom and GretchensMom - homemade workload :D GretchensMom, does your husband do the cooking then, if you clean up?
We split both cooking and cleaning here, hubby normally loads the dishwasher and I empty it, he’ll make the osso buco and I’ll make the risotto to go with it for example - and by now a lot of help from the kids, both girls and boy. That’s pretty much the norm up here in Iceland - same at my parents’ place (and they’re over 70 years old now…)
hildigunnur: Sometimes my husband helps me cook (and even does all the cooking himself on rare occasions) but a majority of the time, I do the cooking alone. He offers to clean up all the time to help me out but, as I said before, I like things done a certain way in the kitchen – particularly the dishwasher loading – and if he doesn’t do it the way I like it and I have to go behind him and re-do everything to my liking, then I may as well do it all the first time to begin with.
The funny thing is, the kitchen seems to be the only place where I have to have this kind of complete control. Everything else, any place else, in my life and I’m nowhere near this caring about how things get done just so long as they get done good enough. I wonder why that is? You’d think that I’d be this way in every aspect of my life but I’m not.
Downundergirl about 14 years ago
groan.
MontanaLady about 14 years ago
……while they clean up the whole mess!!!!!!!!!!!!
JanLC about 14 years ago
When we had a big family meal, the women cooked and the men cleaned up. Worked out nicely.
voltige about 14 years ago
Right on, SchmoozeMinkey !
KHandcock about 14 years ago
Depends on the couples…there’s a couple my husband and I get together with frequently. The two guys are in the same profession. It’s guaranteed that, after dinner is over, work talk will come up. Cleaning the kitchen is sometimes a welcome escape for the ladies… ;-)
GuntotingLiberal about 14 years ago
Family dinners like Christmas are always like this at my in-law’s. I’ve never seen any of the guys ever do anything. So every now and again I draft my husband into dish drying as an example to others.
I don’t understand it at all. The family I came from, the person who cooked was exempt from having to clean up.
andronius about 14 years ago
Same here, Guntoting! As a kid whether my mom or dad cooked, I always helped the other who didn’t cook, clean up afterwards!
lightenup Premium Member about 14 years ago
My in-laws are like this too, GuntotingLiberal. But then again, I feel like his family (or maybe his country) is about 20 years behind the US. They’re just very traditional in their roles, even though they are more modern in their beliefs, if that makes sense. His mother reminds me of how the stereotypical housewife was in the 50’s, and his father didn’t have anything to do with the kids or home issues until my husband became an adult. However, there’s no way my father-in-law would even care what the women are talking about, so at least Ted is being astute (for once).
Nelly55 about 14 years ago
friends love having us over for dinner. my husband, if allowed, would clean up the whole mess.
cleokaya about 14 years ago
Actually, in our household I do the cleanup while my wife entertains the guests.
lewisbower about 14 years ago
The men in my family rushed to the sink. Whoever was last had to entertain my Aunt Elithabeth. You never saw dishes so clean and dry.
Tsigili about 14 years ago
As a kiddo, I always snuck away to read; I didn’t really care who was doing what downstairs. However, my family kept the traditional “women do it all and men do nothing” plan. As an adult, we meet at my sister’s home for holidays. I fight to help her clean up, but she won’t allow it. So I just keep her company and visit while she does it. (My husband doesn’t fight for the privilege at all; he’s content to go visit with his brother-in-law in the den.) Meanwhile, my daughter keeps an eye on her children. So I guess it works out, but it’s not the traditional way.
On the other hand, I come from a long line of very, very bad cooks, so it’s a good thing I married a good one. (I was nine years old before I learned that french toast wasn’t supposed to be blackened.) Otherwise, we’d live on cereal and Pop Tarts - the two things I can prepare. So in everyday life, my hubby cooks and I try to keep up with the dishes. Maybe holidays are supposed to be weird?
Mythreesons about 14 years ago
Thanks to all who gave me leads on my missing commentator. I’ve noted those names. I’m leaning towards something like DEDWARD. The horn avatar was a tuba, I believe. He’s usually early (I’m Central time) and is usually on this comic. Where I really like him is on the political ones, as he seems to be a voice of reason when the rants start.
Mythreesons about 14 years ago
Reading further, I found a CDWARD using a decorated cookie as an avatar. Maybe!!!
Smiley Rmom about 14 years ago
Usually, I get my brothers, hubby & sons to carry everything into the kitchen. Once it is in there, then one or more of the women handle loading the dishwasher & putting away leftovers. My hubby is great at helping cook, but not cleaning. It is hard to have guys doing the cleaning when they don’t know where anything goes, etc.
Gretchen's Mom about 14 years ago
I’m very anal-retentive about my dishes (how they’re either loaded in the dishwasher or hand-washed) and don’t trust anyone – not even my husband – to do things the way I like them so I’m always the only one doing the cleaning up in my kitchen.
MontanaLady about 14 years ago
I do the cooking, my Mountain Man cleans up. I love to cook, and he loves to have things in order. :)))))
hildigunnurr Premium Member about 14 years ago
Rmom and GretchensMom - homemade workload :D GretchensMom, does your husband do the cooking then, if you clean up?
We split both cooking and cleaning here, hubby normally loads the dishwasher and I empty it, he’ll make the osso buco and I’ll make the risotto to go with it for example - and by now a lot of help from the kids, both girls and boy. That’s pretty much the norm up here in Iceland - same at my parents’ place (and they’re over 70 years old now…)
Gretchen's Mom about 14 years ago
hildigunnur: Sometimes my husband helps me cook (and even does all the cooking himself on rare occasions) but a majority of the time, I do the cooking alone. He offers to clean up all the time to help me out but, as I said before, I like things done a certain way in the kitchen – particularly the dishwasher loading – and if he doesn’t do it the way I like it and I have to go behind him and re-do everything to my liking, then I may as well do it all the first time to begin with.
The funny thing is, the kitchen seems to be the only place where I have to have this kind of complete control. Everything else, any place else, in my life and I’m nowhere near this caring about how things get done just so long as they get done good enough. I wonder why that is? You’d think that I’d be this way in every aspect of my life but I’m not.