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It doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you care.
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Growing up to be a man consists of many challenges. I consider myself lucky; my father was and always has been by my side, helping to teach me the right way in life and understand how to learn from my failures. Not everyone has had that opportunity. In fact, many of my closest friends growing up didn’t have a father figure, making it difficult for them to grow and succeed.
The world is changing around us, creating a more accepting place that men don’t always have to be the tough guys who never cry, are never home because of work, don’t think it’s their job to do house chores, and never put their guard down.
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The world is changing around us, creating a more accepting place that men don’t always have to be the tough guys who never cry, are never home because of work, don’t think it’s their job to do house chores, and never put their guard down.
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When I was younger, I took notes on how my father treated my mother, helped out around the house, and took care of us (my two brothers and myself).
As my brothers and I grew up, my fathered continued to teach us the essentials:
- How to drive—specifically driving in cold weather (I’m from Idaho)
- How to help around the house and do our share of chores
- How to set goals
- How to handle difficult situations
- How to fight
I have always admired my father and decided at a young age that I wanted to be just like him.
Now, I’m married and am hoping to have children soon, and enjoy doing my share of house chores. Yes, I said it, I enjoy doing house chores. The one thing I don’t like to do is cook. Let me get in front of a barbeque and I’ll own it, but put me in front of a stove and I’m terrible. My wife and I came up with a deal: she does the majority of the cooking if I do the majority of the house chores. Seems like a fair trade to me!
Here are the house chores I enjoy doing:
Laundry
This could be every man’s worst nightmare. I have a few friends who will NOT do laundry.
I tend to be picky at times, so I like my laundry done a certain way and I really don’t mind doing it. I like to make a challenge of it, asking myself, “can I get all the laundry done in a day?” You would be surprised how much you can accomplish when you set small goals and create challenges for yourself.
Dusting
My father was the king of dusting! He wanted everything to always look fresh and new.
Dusting is not my most enjoyable chore to do, but it has to get done. I have found that the less clutter in your home, the less dusty items tend to get. Once again, I like to make it a challenge. “How fast can I get it done?” Always remembering what the finished product will look like. It’s a great feeling when you make your household items look fresh and new again.
Dishes
While my father was the king of dusting, my mother was the queen of dishes. You know the people who scrub the dishes almost clean, before putting them into the dishwasher? Well, that’s my mother and I. Needless to say, we’re picky about the way we do dishes.
This is a chore that my wife and I split, or often times, do together. I scrub the dishes and she loads the dishwasher.
Outdoor Chores
There’s something to be said about being outside and working in the dirt. Here are the things that I like to do for outside chores.
- Mowing and Trimming – It’s fun to create lines in your grass and to make sure all of the trim lines up perfectly.
- Pruning – If you want nice bushes, you have to prune them, plain and simple.
- Chopping wood – We have a wood burning stove inside and a fire pit outside for entertaining and comfort, that we use all of the time. Chopping wood is a great source of exercise and gives you a feeling of accomplishment.
- Maintenance – Home ownership means plenty of maintenance. It never fails that you have to fix a sprinkler head, fence or deck/patio every year.
- Planting – The spring is a beautiful time of year and you can enjoy the beauty even more by planting flowers and creating a garden.
As roles within the household continue to change, men are changing, too. These are no longer the days when women are only stay-at-home moms, taking care of the kids and doing all of the chores, while men are out working and bringing home the paycheck. More women are working and more men are staying home. It’s okay for men to take on more house chores, it doesn’t mean you’re weak, it means you care.
I thank my father every day for showing me what it’s like to be a man and how I can do my part around the house to make mine and my wife’s life a lot easier.
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Photo: Flickr/Kim Siever
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
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The post Why I Love to Help Out Around the House appeared first on The Good Men Project.