10 March 2021

division of labor

Last night, something happened.
I was brushing my teeth when FG walked up to wash his hands. He tried the soap dispenser, and no soap came out. He looked at me and said, "The soap dispenser needs to be refilled."
I continued brushing my teeth for a few seconds before I realized that the casual comment was directed at me. Like it was my job to fill the soap dispenser. I told him that he was more than welcome to refill it, and continued brushing my teeth.

I thought about why that happened. Since I moved in, I've been the one who does most of the cleaning. It's just what I naturally do. I like to clean, and I kind of took it over, to the point where I guess FG started to expect it. 

The problem is, if I do all the work, that's what the expectation becomes. He's a grown man who is perfectly capable of helping maintain the household, yet I'm taking care of all of it. I think it's time to take a step back and start requesting a little more balance when it comes to house cleaning. 

We'll see how long it takes before the soap dispenser gets refilled.