Gone are the days when husbands would come home from a long day, with dinner on the table, the house in order, children and wife ready to greet him at the door with a kiss and a long drink. More women in the workforce has simply meant job sharing is more crucial. How do the job responsibilities get carved up in your house? How early do you teach kids to take part in the running of the house? Do you have an uncooperative partner? What's been your experience?

What a GREAT TOPIC!
I can't remember the movie but it had the husband (William Macey) come home and say, "Honey, I'm home!" and then expect everything dished up to him. I can assure you that my household is nothing like that....I wouldn't want it to be like that.

The kids have set chores that are reviewed every year. They increase in resonsibility as they get older and easier chores drop off the list and are just "expected to be done" (eg. make bed, clean room etc).

I make my wife breakfast each day, since I work from home we normally make lunch together and she makes dinner. We treat the housework like a job that needs to get done just like going to work....as it is work and hard at that!

I guess it depends on what stage you are at in your life. When I was working a corporate job it was never like that for us either but once I began working at home I got back into a routine of having dinner ready for when my husband got home. The kids were never lined up though, they were always in front of a TV or doing homework or something. They did, however, have set chores that increased or changed as they grew older.

We're now (new) empty nesters and at yet another stage in our lives so I wonder what that will bring us? I'm still very much the one that does the 'housework', gardening, etc but I guess that's because I'm the one that is home more.

That's true....what's it like to be an empty nester?

Here in SA we are furtunate enough to have domestic helpers. Mine is Elsie. She has been with me for nearly five years. I love her so much. She is my friend more than my helper. We cry in each others shoulders etc. My kids love her too. She comes Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. I honestly cannot cope without her. She even helps with the soup kitchen on Thurdays.

I don't work. But am involved in the church.

I need some adivce. I got an email on Thurday about a job offer in Boksburg with is about a 30 minute drive for Heidelburg (where we live) at a church as a girl friday. The pay is R5000-00 per month. But there are a few things that I cannot decide on. One of the qualifications are pastel (which I don't have) and my husband isn't too keen on me applying. He wants me to find a job. But, he said that it is going to cost too much for the petrol (our petrol is now R7,11 a litre) and he doesn't want me to travel as there are many highjacking in SA. But I don't know if it is also because it is for a Church. He is struggling with issues at the moment where he blames God for. But the thing is I prayed for a job just like this. I do not know what to do.

What is your view?

whizzbang wrote:
That's true....what's it like to be an empty nester?

Sorry whizzbang, been away from here for awhile - been rather occupied with work and writing.

GT and I have gotten used to having the house to ourselves and we love it. Chrissie's just come back from South Africa after 5 weeks over there riding horses, was home 2 days and then off to the country to go with friends to Sydney for Hillsong this week - she'll be back early next week for 3 weeks and then back to the country for work for the rest of the year.

It's amazing how quickly you get used to no-one else in the house and then have to remember to shut doors again when there is someone else around again