While the lockdown kept us from going out, it ended up bringing about some fundamental changes within our homes. Not only were people working from home, but they were also working for home.
In the absence of domestic helps, for most of us, this period has been a lesson in self-reliance.
Couples used this time to split responsibilities and share the load of household chores, something their otherwise busy lifestyles didn’t give them a chance to do. And in the process, they discovered a newfound partnership.
We spoke to different couples to find out more about the joys of bonding over household responsibilities and why they totally recommend sharing the load.
Laundry List
For years now, Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad campaign has been championing the cause of gender equality in Indian homes by encouraging men to become equal partners in domestic chores. Couples actually got the chance to put this into practice during the lockdown.
“Doing household chores all by yourself can be overwhelming. Sharing work makes it a lot easier. Once the lockdown was announced, the first chore my husband and I bonded over is laundry. We took turns doing it and it was fun,” says content writer Ishani Bose.
Ishani’s husband Kartik, a sound engineer by profession, echoes her sentiment. “Laundry is less stressful, a good starting point to share the load and also fun to bond over,” he says.
Media professional Sudarshana Sengupta states, “My husband and I are both working from home. Among the other chores we have split between the two of us, laundry has got to be our favourite ‘us’ activity.”
Kitchen Calls
After laundry, it was kitchen duties that couples enjoyed doing together.
Whether it’s cooking, cleaning or doing the dishes, all of these can be fun if you have someone to do them along with you.
Sudarshana’s husband Nikhil says, “I like cooking but I don’t always have the patience and time for it. However, I did find time for it during the lockdown. We had clearly split our kitchen duties. When I cooked, Sud did the cleaning, and when she put on the chef’s hat, I took over cleaning. This way, I got the chance to experiment with quite a few dishes during the lockdown.”
Ishani and Kartik have their kitchen schedule cut out. “On days when Kartik cooks, I do the cleaning and dishes and vice-versa. This way, none of us finds it very taxing. And I guess, this is how it’s going to be for some months now,” states Ishani.
Children Diaries
For parents, the lockdown automatically translated into more time with their kids. Whether it was connecting with their child individually or getting some much needed family time, they made the most of it.
Homemaker Sheela Harish says, “Usually, it’s only my son and I who bond over various activities. But given that my husband was working from home during the lockdown, we ensured that we spend equal amounts of time with our child. Whether it was watching movies with him or helping him with his online classes, we carefully split our responsibilities.”
Pursuit of Happiness
One of the biggest advantages of sharing the load is that you leave your partner with more time to pursue their individual interests. And that’s exactly what couples did in the lockdown.
With extra time on hand, they either revisited an old hobby that had been left behind or picked up a new skill that was always on their mind.
“I had always wanted to try my hand at baking and this lockdown presented itself as a great opportunity. So with Kartik’s help, I managed to bake quite a few items. They didn’t exactly turn out great, but not a bad start,” says Ishani.
Kartik says, “She had always wanted to bake and now that we had the time, I was more than happy to help out.”
Mantra for Life
Now that a lot of couples have started sharing the load at home, and have realised the many joys of doing so, it’s time to treat this as a life lesson.
Dividing domestic chores with your partner shouldn’t be limited only to periods of crisis, like the one we’re facing now. It should become a mantra for life. It should be the norm and not the exception.
Ishani says, “Why should the burden of household chores be one person’s alone? Crisis or not, it’s only fair that both of you contribute. Working for home together is a lot of fun and most importantly, it shows that you care for and respect each other.”
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