How To Talk About Housework
(Without Starting A Fight)
The Challenge of Different Standards (Part Three)
Talking about standards for housework can be a significant source of conflict at home. But how do you talk about it without starting a fight? The first post in this three part series examines why standards might differ between household members. If you missed Part One, read Are They Just Trying To Get Out Of Doing Housework, about why standards might differ. Part Two covers Resolving Different Housework Standards: A Practical Framework. In this post, we’ll look at how to approach talking about standards for housework to keep discussions more collaborative and less combative.
How to start talking about housework standards
Finding the right tone and content through which to open a conversation like this isn’t easy. Try to focus on high level requirements, and tasks that are a source of friction now. Don’t open by criticising the way things are currently. It can be good to start by expressing a solution mindset that prioritises the relationship. For example, you could open with something like, “I want us to be able to communicate openly and work together to make sure we all get what we need.” Then introduce what you’d like to talk about, and ask if they’d be open to trying a new approach.
Aim to start by having a conflict-free discussion and try for gradual improvement. If things get tense, try asking questions to understand the other person’s views. How often does a task need to be done? Do we need to change the sheets on the beds weekly? Or is once a month ok? If one of you prefers weekly and the other monthly, why not try fortnightly as a compromise? It’s perfectly reasonable to test an approach for a month or two and then discuss again once you’ve tried it.
Set a date for when you’ll review the new arrangements so the next discussion is planned. Put it in diaries so others are aware that it’s coming. Experiment, and try to make sure both of you are willing to be flexible about what’s necessary. One person shouldn’t always have to be making all the concessions. And just because you’re starting the conversation, that shouldn’t mean you get your way necessarily.
Approaching the conversation
When you’re ready to talk about different standards for housework, here are some tactics to help you prepare, focus on finding a solution, and prevent getting drawn into conflict.
- Be Collaborative: One of the hardest parts of broaching a topic like this can be how to start. A tone of collaboration can be a good starting point.
- Be Fair: It’s always best to avoid accusations. If you think your partner or household member is not being fair, try to give them the benefit of the doubt and ask ‘why’ instead of assuming. You might be surprised why they think what they do.
- Know What You Want: Think about what specifically you want to get out of the discussion, and the specific friction points you want to address. It might be that you don’t want to have to remind your partner to do the grocery shopping, because they’re not owning the whole task. Or that you would like them to do one load of laundry per week to share some of the workload, and you’re flexible on when as long as it’s the same day each week. It’s always easier to find a solution and keep it simple if you know what you want to get out of the discussion.
- Think about impact: If you have a problem with something but don’t know how to explain why it’s a problem, try thinking about impact. Does the current approach impact someone else adversely? Having to remind people to do things they’re responsible for impacts the person doing the reminding because it creates work. Not ordering groceries on time might mean the kids run out of healthy breakfast options. Not doing laundry until you run out of clean underwear might mean the kids run out of clean clothes or items they need for school or other activities.
Be willing to compromise, within reason
It’s helpful to know what you want going into a discussion. But don’t assume you need to get your way for the conversation to be successful. If you like doing a weekly grocery shop because you want to stick to a budget, and your partner wants to shop everyday, you’ll want to be open to middle ground options.
If your partner suggests three shops a week, with a fixed budget – and they’re happy to do them, that’s reasonable. It satisfies your budget concern, and reduces the daily trips. Even though it’s more time than you’d like, it uses their time, not yours. It’s a good opportunity to suggest you trial it and review after a few weeks to see if it improves things.
Further Reading
If you’re still struggling with how to have a conversation with a member of your household about different standards for housework, there are some excellent books on this topic. I personally found Fair Play by Eve Rodsky great for explaining the differences between household types that can impact these conversations. It also proposes a system for how to distribute and manage household work in a fairer way. Rodsky gives lots of accounts of different household and personality types from her research, which can be helpful to understanding the different challenges households face.