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How to Divide Chores at Home for a Lasting Marriage


They say you get to know your partner more when you start living together under the same roof. Learn how to work with your partner to pay for bills and more importantly, do chores.

A “traditional” marriage is letting the woman stay at home and do all the dirty work. This is obviously unfair treatment, especially when the husband isn’t doing anything to help. This might cause problems in the long run.

Now, it’s different and more progressive: Couples work as a team to make their marriage work and last a long, long time. So, how do you split the housework between you and your spouse? 

The first thing you need to do is sit down and discuss what needs to be done daily and weekly. Wash the dishes, do the laundry, take out the trash—all that stuff. Once you list all that down, ask each other which tasks are plausible to do considering your respective schedules. 

One effective pattern you can follow is alternating tasks each day. Example: The wife can wash the dishes on Monday, Wednesday, Friday; husband does the same on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

You can also dedicate one day—we suggest Sunday—to do chores together. Do the laundry and vacuum the whole house every week. Go out and spend quality time after.

What if one of you can’t do their assigned chores for a certain day? Just ask your spouse nicely to switch days with you. Make sure you don’t go back on your promise and you don’t skip chores all the time. You should always have a good reason for not doing your part.

Another important thing to remember is help is always appreciated. If you’re having problems, ask help. If you see that your spouse is struggling, offer a hand.

Splitting the housework may seem mundane, but it teaches every married couple valuable lessons. The important one is it develops teamwork and problem-solving skills, making it easier to deal with small and big things in your lives. Doing chores also improves your relationship with your spouse because you get to observe their quirks and skills.

Keep in mind: Marriage is hard work—so is keeping your relationship stable in this lifelong commitment. If you’re determined to keep the love alive, start with keeping the home you live in together clean.

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Mr. Hutton is a Divorce and Custody Lawyer based out of Round Rock, TX. His background is with child psychology at Arizona State University where he received a B.S. in 2006, and he continued this by working with the Children’s Right’s Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law where he received his J.D. in 2009. Throughout his practice, he has been a strong proponent of utilizing modern technology to improve his practice and the representation of his clients. He currently is the technology chair of CAFA of Travis County and is committed to improving and modernizing the practice of law in Texas. If you have any questions you can contact him at timothy.hutton@austintexaslegal.com

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