Believe it or not: one of my favourite childhood memories is of doing the washing up.
I kid you not.
As the eldest of four children, it was a treat and a privilege to stay up past our official bedtime of 7.30. Even if that treat did include having to help with doing the washing up (my Dad would wash, and I would dry).
We had a little black and white television on the kitchen counter, and together we would watch a current affairs program on the ABC – I think it might have been “Four Corners” – or chat about things as we did the dishes.
Cherished memories indeed, as my parents split up when I was 10.
Sharing Household Chores
We are all a product of our childhoods, so when I got married many years later I unconsciously assumed this would be the way things would be with my new husband.
Except – he had not grown up in my family, so his expectations were very different.
I’d lived on my own for a couple of years before we got married, and had always washed up immediately after dinner, before sitting down and relaxing.
I guess I’ve always been the sort of person to jump right into unpleasant tasks, get them done, and then relaxing!
Hubster on the other hand, just couldn’t face doing dishes straight after dinner.
While he was happy to clear the table, at the end of the day, he just wanted to relax. Dishes be damned!
His theory was that they could be done in the morning. Which they sometimes were, but what about when we were running late for work? Besides I am not – and never have been – a morning person …
Arguments Over Who Does the Washing Up!
Would leaving the dishes drive you mad? If there is one thing I hate more than washing up, it is waking up to a messy kitchen and a sink full of dishes!
I’m sure we’re not the first couple to have arguments over who does the washing up – and when! One of the biggest challenges of living with another person, is adapting to each other’s ways and sharing the household chores.
We stumbled along for the first few years and it wasn’t until after we had kids, that I got to the point where I could just leave the dishes after dinner – basically because I was too stuffed to do anything about it!
Still, once the kids got a bit older, we soon put them to work … 😉
A dishwasher has definitely been a big help too!
So tell me – who is washing up the dishes in your house? Do you prefer washing up after dinner, or relaxing first?