How To Divide Household Responsibilities

Whose job is it to sign up the kids for summer camp? How about to pack their peanut-free lunches every evening? Even in this era of equal marriages and dual-income households, many parents don’t know how to separate household responsibilities.

Some people think laundry's really important, while others value household repairs. Whatever your preference, it should be taken into account when couples figure out who is in charge of what.

Start crediting the thinking work. There’s a lot more work that goes into household responsibilities than meets the eye. In turn, couples don’t realize how much extra mental work the other is taking on. Bringing each party’s burden to a calm, objective conversation can help reduce tension at home.

Divide responsibilities not tasks. If one person is managing the family health care, they should also be responsible for finding doctors, arranging appointments, and even filling out school medical forms. When one person owns a whole area of responsibility, they will develop domain expertise in it, which will make both of your lives more efficient.

Trade places. Once you divide your household responsibilities, take turns trading jobs. This technique helps build a sense of empathy and understanding for your partner and their jobs.

Renegotiate. Life responsibilities can affect the household responsibilities you agreed to. Couples should continue to evaluate the agreed upon terms every few months, and change when necessary.


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