Division of Labor and Chores

Homemaking is a strange occupation. In the grand scheme of things, it is the only real job without any tangible paycheck. Let’s make it more solid. You will need a pen and paper, and your Manager Hat.

Division of Labor

First, list all the things you are expected to do around the house. I know, this will take precious time away from the actual performance of those duties, but it is necessary. Otherwise, it is easy to allow urgent things to steal your time away from more important matters. This list will help you tell the difference between the two later.

Next, pretend you’ve hired someone else to do all this work. Look carefully at your list and decide – in a perfect world – how long would you expect it to take for someone else to perform each task? Write these numbers down. Hint: It will be easier if you round up your estimates to the nearest quarter hour.

Add up all the expected hours of work for the week and you may find the total is more than one person might reasonably be expected to do. (We will get back to this in a minute.)

Next, let’s do something fun… Write down how much per hour this imaginary person would earn if you hired locally for each job. Consider the difference in hiring help from a company, and what that person actually takes home. The work might charge out at $25/hr, but the person doing the work probably only takes home less than $15/hr (after overhead and taxes). Look it up with an internet search if you don’t already know – and be sure to get figures for your locale. New York is not Alabama, and Texas is not California – so hourly estimates will be different in each area.

Okay, now you know how long each task “should” take, and how much an imaginary person might make per hour doing that work. The next step is simple even if it is math. Multiply the total number of chore-hours times the local hourly rate, and that’s how much hidden value your work brings to the household. For me, it was about 50 hours of work per week.

Extrapolate that out for a month or a year, and all of a sudden you see the amount of hidden dollar value your work provides the family overall. It ain’t nothing.

Besides feeling pretty good about how much you accomplish as a Homemaker, you now have a defined list of duties and some clear ideas about how long the work is likely to take, plus what it would cost if needed to hire out a portion of the work – a worst case consideration.

With my list in hand, I instantly went from overwhelmed to merely whelmed. (Is that a word?) But I didn’t have time marked out for gardening, baking, or needlework. However, the job seemed mostly manageable, and it was pretty obvious where help could be called in.

Future conversations with family members about the household division of labor and chores moved from the realm of overwrought emotional breakdown (before the list) to a more reasonable definite task/time request for help (after). It is possible that others in the house honestly have no idea what they can do to ease your burden.

If home is your domain, bringing equity to housework is a job only you can do. Do you work outside the home, too? Having a job outside the house doesn’t make the chores go away, and if you are female chances are you do more household tasks despite hours at a paying job. If your house chores are out of balance because of gender, it is your job to change that. Seriously, no one else will.

And in the case of children, over a few short years we must actually teach them how to run their own households, regardless of gender. So, bringing them in on the fun helps everyone. Besides teaching children respect for themselves and their surroundings, your chances of having grandchildren who grow up in a happy home improve if both parents are willing to do their fair share without whingeing about it.

In truth, it is a big job. Still, “it’s the little things” they say, that count in marriage. Maybe it’s time to work on that. Who knows but the examples we set in our own homes with more equity in house work might save a marriage, or two. Maybe yours. Or your kid’s..? Our work — unpaid as it is — echoes through generations.

Two things can help. The first is a nice hot “cuppa.” Tea, usually. Often herbal, like chamomile (calming) or hibiscus (refreshing). Spend five minutes in the garden with a cup of tea and the world seems a little brighter.

The second is a game of Chores. Never played it? Here’s how to play this version:

Chores (the game)

Prepare your chore chart with times marked, as described above. Color code the chores according to the amount of time each takes and give each task a different number. Temporarily mark some spoons – one per chore – with the color on the handle and task number hidden in the bowl. Arrange the spoons in a circle – handles out and bowl down – so the task number cannot be seen.

Gather the family round the table, maybe after a nice meal. Explain the purpose of the game – to divide up extra household chores randomly and fairly – and have some fun.

Agree ahead of time how many total minutes each player should take responsibility for.

Ring a bell— or say, “Ready? Steady… Go!” to begin play. Each person hurries to grab the number of spoons they need. Match the number on the chore chart to discover the task(s) you get for the week. By mutual agreement a chore may be traded for another chore of equal value, but only once.

Play in rounds, according to color with older players eligible for chores that take longer, until each player has their allotted weekly chore time filled.

Note: you can do also accomplish this by drawing slips of paper from a hat – but whatever the method, players choose their jobs and Lady Luck decides!

Be prepared to help each other learn how to perform household chores they are unfamiliar with. Remember, each basic job in Homemaking is an entire profession or industry on its own. Honor your own household and family traditions by passing them on. We only get one chance. 😉