Bloke scheduling
When my wife asks me to do something round the house, my usual reply is “I’ll do it”. Now, look at that for a second. What have I committed myself to there? As far as I can see, I’ve simply committed to doing something. There’s no ‘how’ or, more importantly, no ‘when’, either implied or otherwise. How then does my wife hear this as “I’ll do it now“?
It’s not just my wife that hears an implied schedule in this either. As you may know, when a baby arrives things can get a little hectic around the house. Dishes can pile up, vacuuming tends to go undone for a day or two, and there’s always washing to be done. We have a lot of people wanting to help us, which is great. Our mothers have been the first in line when it comes to offering help around the house. When they see the things that need to be done, they instinctively ask if we want them to do it. And my instinctive response? “I’ll do it”.
The same rules apply here as above. I have not committed to a schedule. I see not immediate need to clear up the dishes, or brush the floor. However, if these things are not down by the time the original samaritan returns it’s assumed that I can’t cope. In fact, there is a general assumption that the father will not be able to cope with the house work. I find this just a little annoying. Sure, I’ve been up through the night. Sure, the wee fella cried a bit. Yes, there’s a pile of ironing to be done. And yes, I’ve been at work all day. So? I do appreciate help round the house, don’t get me wrong. But I can cope with ironing.
I can put on a bite of dinner. I can even work the washing machine.
This post turned into a bit of a rant. Apologies. Maybe the lack of sleep has had an affect 