The Housework Wars

It's such a cliché. Lazy husbands toss their dirty socks on the floor and expect their wives to pick up after them. After a long day in an office (or taking care of kids), their wives must cook, clean, and take care of the housework.

So it's not so shocking to hear that in most married households, this scenario is pretty commonplace.

A story on CNN.com (via Parenting.com) reports that although wives do half as much housework (including cooking and cleaning) as those a generation ago, they still average 16 hours a week -- four times more than our husbands, according to a study from the University of Maryland.

The article provides some advice for getting your husband to help out more around the house (no, nagging or withholding sex aren't viable options):

1. Be direct. Simply put the clean laundry basket in front of him. Hopefully, he'll get the hint.

2. Don't criticize the way he cooks and cleans.

3. Make a list of the most important chores and create a schedule.

4. Respect your partner's time, needs, and preference of tasks.

5. Stop worrying and make peace with your pigsty.

Personally, I find it a bit irritating that the article suggests that wives show their appreciation and thank their husbands for helping out around the house. I'm all for expressing gratitude, but it's a two-way street. In other words, husbands need to thank their wives for cooking and cleaning too.