I am a mother of two and I would rather read a book than do boring household chores
A mother of two has sparked debate after revealing she’s “fed up” of her husband asking her to help around the house with the chores.
The anonymous British woman rose Mumsnet where she explained that her partner ‘always’ asked her to do some ‘pointless’ household chores, which she said could be put on hold ‘indefinitely’.
Instead, she said she’d rather spend time reading, painting, or spending time with her kids, writing, “When I spend my limited free time on pointless “essential” sh** like sorting toys and washing the car , when am I supposed to live my life and get any pleasure from it?’
She captioned her post by asking, “AIBU to tell him to fuck off and just keep reading my book while the rain washes my car?”
However, other users were stunned by her comments, with some calling her “lazy.”
A mum of two has sparked debate on Mumsnet after revealing she’s ‘fed up’ of her husband asking her to help around the house with household chores (stock image)
The mother-of-two shared her post on the site, noting, “I am totally tired of my lovely husband nagging at me.
“The yard needs weeding, the windows cleaned, children’s toys cleaned up and put into sets, old toys taken to the thrift store, outgrown clothes put away, the junk closet cleaned out, the car washed, the bathroom ceiling needs to be repainted etc.
“None of the things he nags about are urgent or even essential, and in my opinion they can be ignored almost indefinitely.”
She continued, “I want to read a book, or paint a picture, or watch a movie, or take lovely children for a bike ride.
‘At the moment I’m reading and dear husband complains that I’m lazy and that things have to be done.
“With a boring part-time job and two kids to care for, I have very little time for myself, and he wants me to spend it on tasks that aren’t important or fulfilling.
‘Personally, I don’t give a shit about throwing out the old toys – I want to read my book. I don’t care if I drive a muddy car – I want to finish my portrait.’
The anonymous British woman took to Mumsnet where she explained that her partner ‘always’ asked her to do some ‘pointless’ household chores, which she said could be put on hold ‘indefinitely’
She continued, “DH screams that this stuff may not be satisfying, but it’s essential.
“But if I spend my limited free time on useless “essential” sh** like sorting toys and washing the car, when am I supposed to actually live my life and enjoy it?
‘Should I feel satisfied with a slightly tidier house or a cleaner car?
“With limited free time, I have to choose what to spend it on, and I choose to read my book instead of sorting through piles of old clothes.
“I should point out that I already do a lot of essential things. I wash the kids, help with homework, drive them around, read to them.
“I do the laundry, cook, do the dishes, vacuum, clean the bathroom. The basics of survival.
‘But I don’t want to do more. I especially don’t want to do unnecessary tasks, such as cleaning out the junk closet, at the expense of reading my book.
A number of people were critical of the woman’s lightheartedness when it came to the value her husband apparently places on household chores.
“It’s like he wants my whole life to be monotonous without any mental stimulation.
“AIBU to tell him to fuck off and just continue reading my book while the rain washes my car?”
Many other Mumsnet users were stunned by her comments, with one writing: ‘You obviously appreciate the bare minimum and living in a shabby, disorganized, dirty environment so just get on with it’.
Another was equally unsupportive, saying, “I wonder if there’s an air of superiority about you – I’m creative, he’s boring – which I’d find very annoying if I were him.”
Meanwhile, a third suggested she was sexist by leaving her husband behind to do the housework.
Another wrote, “If a woman came to say a lot of work was needed on their house and listed all the things in the operation and said she refused to help and spent all her free time on his hobby, no poster would . tell her it was okay and she should just go ahead and do all the work herself.”
Others, however, said they fully supported the woman for prioritizing her own hobbies over household chores
Others, however, said they fully supported the woman for prioritizing her own hobbies over household chores.
One wrote: ‘I love your post OP. I have a dozen books on my bookshelf I want to read, a keen interest in learning how to play chess, a meditation app I bought but rarely use.
“The list goes on and on and on but I’m stuck in the rut of doing endless household chores that all become essential because no one else will do it.”
Good on your OP for having the determination to prioritize the important things in life. I must follow your example.’
Meanwhile, another also shared a statement of support: “You are not wrong. Silence is so important. Life is too short.’