9 Common Reasons Why Couples Fight
Who on earth argues about the precious gift that is free time? Couples!
Who on earth argues about the precious gift that is free time? Couples!
In a new relationship, every kiss or cuddle is appreciated, cooed over, and dissected with girlfriends over brunch. But as time wears on, many of us begin to take small romantic gestures for granted, and instead focus on whether or not our partner is capable of ongoing thoughtful behavior. Does he call back when he said he would? Does he do household chores without being nagged? Does he put the toilet seat down? And if he doesn't, why not? "It's not that much effort!" we think. "Wouldn't he make it a priority to do those things if he really loved me?" Apparently, in some cases, the answer is "No."
I got an email forward last week from a college buddy who hardly ever forwards anything; I knew this one was going to be good. I found 10 jpeg files. The first file showed a photo of a sexy man holding a bag of garbage, with the caption, “As long as I have legs to walk on, you’ll never have to take out the garbage.” The next one showed the same man behind the wheel of a car. The caption read, “Hold that thought a second. I want to pull over and ask for directions.” I didn’t stop clicking. The next file was a photo of a man vacuuming.
Are men blind, or just oblivious? They don't notice the things around the house that make their wives nutso. These tips will help your man (and you!) overcome "male pattern blindness."
In our relationship, I am the cleaner. I love to wash the floors and am known to follow Dave around the house with a broom and dust pan. In times of stress, I relax by pouring a glass of wine and scrubbing the living heck out of the bathtub. So, when I see the socks on the floor, I don't see socks on the floor. I see a sign, a sign that says, "I don't value your efforts to keep the house clean. You are my slave!" And it blinks over my husbands head in bright orange neon lights and that's when I start wondering where exactly I stashed my B.B. gun.
Earlier this week, New York Times columnist, Ross Douthat, wrote an op-ed piece about how feminism has made women increasingly unhappy over the last 30 years. Despite being wealthier, healthier and better educated than they were a generation ago, women in post-feminist America aren't as happy as they used to be. He suggested this may have something to do with the number of women "stuck raising kids alone," a "depressing" lifestyle that's much more common among women in the lower socioeconomic class. This hardly explains why so many wealthy women in East Hampton are so miserable, though, Douthat admits.
"That's What He Said," takes to the street to find out what men think about domestic duties. How do you split up the chores around the house? Is it 50/50?
Yes, you read that correctly. American men today are indeed taking a more active role in household chores, especially when both members of the house work full-time. The report from the Council on Contemporary Families, a national network of familial experts and researchers, states: "Men share more family work if their female partners are employed more hours, earn more money, and have spent more years in education." Not surprisingly, the report references a “general association between sharing housework and healthier marriages.” The more equal the division of labor, the less likely a couple is to divorce.