- 1). Communicate with your spouse. Even before the stay-at-home spouse quits working, the couple should discuss what is expected of one other. It is not fair for the working spouse to expect the stay-at-home spouse to do all of the housework, cooking, child care, lawn maintenance and errand running. It is also not fair for the stay-at-home spouse to simply ignore the chores all day and expect the working spouse to complete them at night. By communicating from the beginning, both people can have an understanding of what is expected of them.
- 2). Create a routine or schedule. If both spouses know what day trash needs to go out and what day laundry should be done, that makes it easier to plan for who is responsible for each duty. Routines allow families to know what to expect regularly, and schedules can be arranged so that each spouse is prepared to chip in when necessary.
- 3). Change duties continually. To avoid the monotony of doing the same thing every week, rotate chores so that each spouse has the opportunity to do something different. This way, one person does not begin to resent doing a certain chore and is free to focus on different aspects of the to-do list.
- 4). Customize duties. Spouses should discuss which chores they each enjoy doing and feel they do well. If the wife enjoys yard work and cutting grass, while the husband enjoys cooking, there is nothing wrong with "claiming" those chores. Common sense dictates that if you enjoy what are doing, you'll do a more thorough and effective job. If all or most of the chores can be divided in this manner, both members of the couple will be happier and more productive.
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