Men Create More Housework for Women

Men Create More Housework for Women
Apr 4, 2008 21:00
guest54109	Having a husband creates an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, tying the knot saves an hour of weekly chores. "It's a well-known pattern," said lead researcher Frank Stafford, an economist at University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. "Men tend to work more outside the home, while women take on more of the household labor." He points out individual differences among households exist. But in general, marriage means more housework for women and less for men. "And the situation gets worse for women when they have children," Stafford said. Overall, times are a' changing in the American home. In 1976, women busied themselves with 26 weekly hours of sweeping-and-dusting work, compared with 17 hours in 2005. Men are pitching in more, more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976 to 13 in 2005. Stafford analyzed time-diaries and questionnaires from a nationally representative sample of men and women over a 10-year period between 1996 and 2005. The federally-funded study showed that, compared with the single life, marriage meant more housework for both men and women. "Marriage is no longer a man's path to less housework," Stafford said. Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework, about 12 weekly hours, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most - about 21 hours a week. Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single guys worked the hardest around the house, trumping all age groups of married men. Having kids boosts house chores even further. With more than three kids, for instance, wives took on more of the extra work, clocking about 28 hours a week compared with husbands' 10 hours.

Apr 4, 2008 21:00

guest54109

Having a husband creates an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, tying the knot saves an hour of weekly chores.

"It's a well-known pattern," said lead researcher Frank Stafford, an economist at University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. "Men tend to work more outside the home, while women take on more of the household labor."

He points out individual differences among households exist. But in general, marriage means more housework for women and less for men. "And the situation gets worse for women when they have children," Stafford said.

Overall, times are a' changing in the American home. In 1976, women busied themselves with 26 weekly hours of sweeping-and-dusting work, compared with 17 hours in 2005. Men are pitching in more, more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976 to 13 in 2005.

Stafford analyzed time-diaries and questionnaires from a nationally representative sample of men and women over a 10-year period between 1996 and 2005. The federally-funded study showed that, compared with the single life, marriage meant more housework for both men and women.

"Marriage is no longer a man's path to less housework," Stafford said.

Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework, about 12 weekly hours, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most - about 21 hours a week.

Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single guys worked the hardest around the house, trumping all age groups of married men.

Having kids boosts house chores even further. With more than three kids, for instance, wives took on more of the extra work, clocking about 28 hours a week compared with husbands' 10 hours.

Apr 4, 2008 22:02	#1
GARYKINKADE Points: Join Date: Jan 8, 2008 Status: Offline	All the statistics seem contradictory and confusing Comparable to reading a profit and loss statement.

Apr 5, 2008 15:17	#2
GRIZ326 Points: Join Date: Jun 12, 2006 Status: Offline	My housekeeper spends 3 hours every two weeks cleaning my house. I just pick up after myself as I go. I am wondering what's the hidden agenda in this report.

Apr 7, 2008 06:09	#3
WESTNORWOODGAS Points: Join Date: Jun 22, 2007 Status: Offline	I hope I don't create more work for my wife, I'm quite able to do my share, it's all about sharing the chores. Alan

Apr 7, 2008 10:02	#4
JCNILE123 Points: Join Date: Mar 30, 2006 Status: Offline	He, he, Alan you in Britain her in China, I am sure you do not create any work for her at all. Just joking!

Apr 7, 2008 20:12	#5
SUNNYDREAM Points: Join Date: Jun 11, 2007 Status: Offline	Yea, men are housework-creators, women are selfless housework-doers.

Apr 8, 2008 01:38	#6
WESTNORWOODGAS Points: Join Date: Jun 22, 2007 Status: Offline	He, he, Alan you in Britain her in China, I am sure you do not create any work for her at all. Just joking! Thats OK JC, thats why I said I hope I don't create more work, when I was in China, Jing did my washing ( I didn't ask her to ), where as I do it myself here in the UK. I think the subject might be a little dig at the guys who put off the handywork sort of jobs around the house. Alan

Apr 8, 2008 21:21

TOMSPENCER
Points:
Join Date: Feb 8, 2005
Status: Offline

When I lived alone I spent less than an hour each day on house-work. I was generally able to keep things clean and tidy quite easily. Since getting married, however, my time spent doing laundry, washing-up, cleaning the bathroom and the kitchen, tidying the bedroom and living room, sweeping and mopping the floors, dusting and polishing, has increased significantly. I don't get enough time each day to get the work done, so I wake up a few hours earlier than my wife at the weekend to get a head start. My wife says my standards are too high.

Apr 8, 2008 21:34	#8
LEONARDO Points: Join Date: May 21, 2007 Status: Offline	"Marriage is no longer a man's path to less housework," Yup, in fact, I never expect to lessen housework through gettting married. Both husband and wife should share the housework. Today, women have their own career as men. They are no longer full-time housewives.

Post a Reply to: Men Create More Housework for Women