Pink jobs and blue jobs

[Miss Chicken]

I was reading this article and it describes the division of labour that occus in households. Among the things claimed in the aerticle is

A survey of 5,000 couples says, mowing the lawn, washing up after dinner and cleaning windows are some of the domestic chores that women believe should be carried out by the man of the house.

The "blue jobs" have emerged in a list of household tasks that women say are the responsibility of men.



Retrieving items from the loft, investigating strange noises in the night, removing lids from jam jars and unblocking toilets are also some of the jobs left for men to do.

As far as women are concerned, they tend to do "pink jobs" such as remembering birthdays, packing school lunches and replacing toilet rolls when they run out, say men who were part of the study, commissioned by TheBabyWebsite.com.

Other jobs carried out by men include going to the tip, setting up the video or DVD recorder, and changing a light bulb. Women, meanwhile, shop for presents, book babysitters and attend children's parties.

"The results of this survey are broadly consistent with other research on divisions of labor that show the main everyday responsibilities of feeding, cleaning, caring for and thinking ahead for children are still carried out more by mothers than fathers, even in households where both parents are in paid work,"

So are am asking people here - are there any 'pink' or 'blue' jobs in your household?

 

[iguana_tonante]

I live alone, so I do everything.

I lived for short periods with my fiancée (holidays, etc), and we went along very well. I cooked and cleaned , she washed the dishes and divided the garbage. We did laundry together. So I think it was quite balanced.

 

[Deckerd]

My OH does just about everything. I just sit around and drink.

 

[Rii]

So did the study explore the participants' households, hypothetical households featuring the participants, participants' perceptions of the average household, participant's beliefs as to what the division in the average household should be, or what? Were the responses nuanced enough to indicate how strongly particular beliefs were held? Who were the participants, exactly? And why is pink considered a female colour and blue a male one?

"The delegation of these chores has nothing to do with our ability to do various tasks. It's just that men tend to be better at more hands-on chores, and women are more organized and methodical in their approach to running the house.

What?

 

[john titor]

Given that the men go out to work and earn money women should do all household chores.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I live alone, so I do everything.

I lived for short periods with my fiancée (holidays, etc), and we went along very well. I cooked and cleaned , she washed the dishes and divided the garbage. We did laundry together. So I think it was quite balanced.

What about in your parents' household? Or that of any of your married brothers or sisters (if you have siblings)?

 

[Miss Chicken]

So did the study explore the participant's households, hypothetical households featuring the participants, participant's perceptions of the average household, participant's beliefs as to what the division in the average household should be, or what? Were the responses nuanced enough to indicate how strongly particular beliefs were held? Who were the participants, exactly? And why is pink considered a female colour and blue a male one?

"The delegation of these chores has nothing to do with our ability to do various tasks. It's just that men tend to be better at more hands-on chores, and women are more organized and methodical in their approach to running the house.

What?

Actually i was reading that orginally only boys had a colour which was blue. It was believed that this colour was disliked by demons and boys were dressed in it to ward of demons. People didn't think demons would be interested in girls so they were not dressed in blue. It was only later that people thought girls should have a colour and pink was pink but I don't think it was chosen for any particular reason.

 

[Rii]

So did the study explore the participant's households, hypothetical households featuring the participants, participant's perceptions of the average household, participant's beliefs as to what the division in the average household should be, or what? Were the responses nuanced enough to indicate how strongly particular beliefs were held? Who were the participants, exactly? And why is pink considered a female colour and blue a male one?

"The delegation of these chores has nothing to do with our ability to do various tasks. It's just that men tend to be better at more hands-on chores, and women are more organized and methodical in their approach to running the house.

What?

Actually i was reading that orginally only boys had a colour which was blue. It was believed that this colour was disliked by demons and boys were dressed in it to ward of demons. People didn't think demons would be interested in girls so they were not dressed in blue. It was only later that people thought girls should have a colour and pink was pink but I don't think it was chosen for any particular reason.

A few days back I read about a study in which parents were asked to play with infants (not their own) who had been dressed in colours opposite those traditionally associated with their actual sex, which the parents were unaware of. Both men and women engaged the infants dressed in blue (actually girls) in active play moreso than those dressed in pink (actually boys) for whom they adopted a more nurturing playstyle.

 

[backstept]

my brother and I do all the 'blue' jobs at home because our mom recently had neck surgery and can't do all those things

 

[Miss Chicken]

A few days back I read about a study in which parents were asked to play with infants (not their own) who had been dressed in colours opposite those traditionally associated with their actual sex, which the parents were unaware of. Both men and women engaged the infants dressed in blue (actually girls) in active play moreso than those dressed in pink (actually boys) for whom they adopted a more nurturing playstyle.

Many years ago my mother-in-law told me off because there was some pink in my son's baby blanket. So a couple of days later I bought a pink woolen bonnet in a second-hand shop and I put it on my son the next time I visited my mother-in-law. She was shocked and told me if I put my son in pink clothes he would end up gay.

 

[Small White Car]

Given that the men go out to work and earn money women should do all household chores.

Wow, are you actually from the 1950's? What's it like there?

My wife and I each have 1.5 jobs. You actually have a home-woman living with you who doesn't need to work?

 

[john titor]

well I'm currently living in 1955, its quite nice actually, the economy is good and I know there won't be a nuclear war for some time yet, currently working for a newspaper in New York.

 

[Rii]

A few days back I read about a study in which parents were asked to play with infants (not their own) who had been dressed in colours opposite those traditionally associated with their actual sex, which the parents were unaware of. Both men and women engaged the infants dressed in blue (actually girls) in active play moreso than those dressed in pink (actually boys) for whom they adopted a more nurturing playstyle.

Many years ago my mother-in-law told me off because there was some pink in my son's baby blanket. So a couple of days later I bought a pink woolen bonnet in a second-hand shop and I put it on my son the next time I visited my mother-in-law. She was shocked and told me if I put my son in pink clothes he would end up gay.

Sadly, I don't think that sort of belief is uncommon.

I just finished watching a Swedish film about a bunch of folks living in a 70s commune. In one scene, a recently arrived woman is saying goodnight to her children who're sleeping side by side, her son with a blue blanket and pillow and her daughter with a pink blanket and pillow. Seeing this, she begins to fret about the effects of this dichotomous colour scheme on her children, and makes them get up so she can swap their pillows around. Her sense of urgency in the face of her children's blank incomprehension made for a charming scene.

 

[Colonel Green]

well I'm currently living in 1955, its quite nice actually, the economy is good and I know there won't be a nuclear war for some time yet, currently working for a newspaper in New York.

I've also heard that the negros aren't nearly as uppity there.

 

[john titor]

that's very racist

 

[iguana_tonante]

I live alone, so I do everything.

I lived for short periods with my fiancée (holidays, etc), and we went along very well. I cooked and cleaned , she washed the dishes and divided the garbage. We did laundry together. So I think it was quite balanced.

What about in your parents' household? Or that of any of your married brothers or sisters (if you have siblings)?

My mothers is an housewife (early retirement pensioner, actually), so she tends to do most of the chores. My father cooks often (not just while barbecuing) and do the "heavy" stuff (home improvement, fixing things, etc).

No sibling, but most of friends my age split the chores in half, considering time and preferences (the same I did with my fiancée).

 

[Miss Chicken]

My son and me tend to divide our chores more based on our disabilities.

He does things like changing light bulbs, opening jars etc because they are physically difficult for me to do due to arthritis.

I tend todo the more fiddly things. He had poor fine motor skills due to his cerebral palsy. I recently put together the (flatpack) furniture we bought because I am better at following the instructions than he is.

He hates to cook and I don't mind it so I cook and he will wash-up later.

He is meant to mow the lawn because I find it difficult but my son has decided to pay someone to do it onstead of doing it himelf.

I do most of the shopping but this is because my son works full-time (and I don't work at all). On weekends he will do top-up shops.

We both do our own washing but sometimes I have to ask him to hang my washing out (if the srthritis in my shoulder is bad).

 

[CmdrAJD]

My wife is a nurse, and we have two children. We decided after the birth of our first child that, since I made enough money to support us, she would stay home with the kids during the week and only work on Saturdays in order to keep her nursing license active. When she first started staying home full-time, she had this idea that she would handle everything in the house, since I was going to work. That lasted for less than a week. Now we have things divvied up a bit more.

As for the chores...

ME
Cooking dinner
Dishes


HER
Laundry
Getting the kids up and off to school
Grocery shopping

Everything else is more of a who gets to it first situation. I tend to clean the bathrooms and see to the kids' homework more often than she does, and she generally vacuums and puts the laundry away more often than I do.

As for the list given in the article, I seem to be the one replacing the toilet paper just as often as she is. I also think I've gone to far more birthday parties than she has, and I generally book the babysitters. If electronics are involved, it's my problem, whether it be dealing with computer issues or recording TV shows. She handles more of the outside stuff. I pay a guy to cut the grass, but my wife does the weeding, gardening, refilling of the bird feeders, and most things with the pool.

Overall, I feel like we've split things pretty well. She doesn't enjoy cooking. I do, so I fix dinner.

 

[trekkiedane]

I come from a relatively traditional background; both my parents had full time work but had the work at home divided as in the article.

However, mum loves to mow the lawn (but it's dad that fixes the machine), mum cooks most meals but dad makes most cold meals and (usually) fills the dishwasher, mum does all the paperwork (birthdays, economy, letters...), mum cleans windows, dad lays tiles and builds cheds, mum does all the washing and dad keeps machinery running.

I think it's natural for a woman to chose to do laundry as men usually don't care enough about separating items -and women want this done the right way.

Men, on the other hand, are those that need their entertainment electronics working so they tend to be the ones setting all of that up. Tools are a typical male (almost) fetish -especially power tools- so it naturally falls to them to drill holes and assemble furniture.

I've often had a laugh when helping people to move: when it's a woman moving her most important task -the first think that gets packed and the first thing that gets unpacked is the kitchen - But when it's a man the last thing that gets taken apart, and the first thing that get assembled again in the new place is the Hi-Fi

Oh, and I simply have to post this:

Summer Classes for Men

Due to the Complexity and Difficulty Level Of Their Contents, Class Sizes Will Be Limited to 8 Participants Maximum.

• Class 1: How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays --- Step by Step, with Slide Presentation. Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.
  
• Class 2: The Toilet Paper Roll --- Does It Change Itself? Round Table Discussion. Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.
  
• Class 3: Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub? --- Group Practice. Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.
  
• Class 4: Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor --- Pictures and Explanatory Graphics. Meets Saturday at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.
  
• Class 5: After Dinner Dishes --- Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink? Examples on Video. Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.
  
• Class 6: Loss Of Identity --- Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other. Help Line Support and Support Groups. Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM.
  
• Class 7: Learning How To Find Things --- Starting With Looking In The Right Places And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming. Open Forum . Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.
  
• Class 8: Health Watch --- Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health. Graphics and Audio Tapes. Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.
  
• Class 9: Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost --- Real Life Testimonials. Tuesday at 6:00 PM Location to be determined.
  
• Class 10: Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks? Driving Simulations. 4 weeks, Saturday noon, 2 hours.
  
• Class 11: Learning to Live --- Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife. Online Classes and role-playing . Tuesday at 7:00 PM, location to be determined.
  
• Class 12: How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques. Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours ! Beginning at 7:00 PM.
  
• Class 13: How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy --- Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late. Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered. Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.
  
• Class 14: The Stove/Oven --- What It Is and How It Is Used. Live Demonstration. Tuesday at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

ETA:

And this one:

Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, "I'm tired, and it's getting late.. I think I'll go to bed"

She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches.

Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning.

She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button

She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer.

She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry.

She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair.

She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse.

Mom then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night solution & age fighting moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails.

Dad called out, "I thought you were going to bed."

"I'm on my way," she said.

She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on.

She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and TV's, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework.

In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list. She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals.

About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular. "I'm going to bed."

And he did...without another thought.

Anything extraordinary here? Wonder why women live longer...? Cause we are made for the long haul ... we can't die sooner, we still have things to do!!!!

 

[RoJoHen]

I can really only speak on behalf of my parents, but they each pretty much do the same jobs around the house. The only more "traditional" things they do, I suppose, are that my mom cooks dinner and my dad mows the lawn. However, the only reason my mom cooks dinner is because she gets home from work first, so she can have it ready by the time my dad (and brother and sister) get home. My dad mows the lawn because he enjoys it.

Other than that, they each do a little bit of everything.