Family Kids and Teens

I’ve yet to live in a house or an apartment where all of the cooking and cleaning duties are handled quickly and evenly, with everyone pulling their weight and nobody slacking off or being forced to do more than their share of the work.  There’s almost always a disproportionate balance, even if you’re just living with one other person, since one of you is inevitably the clean person who gets sick of dirt and grime sooner than the other, and then the clean person usually ends up doing most of the cleaning.  More variables usually work into the equation if you’re living in a big house with more people, but the general dynamic of the situation is usually pretty much the same.

If you put up a chore chart with a rotation of duties between the roommates, things get a lot easier.  You can hold people accountable for slacking off without feeling like you’re being mean about it.  Everyone’s duties are clearly outlined so you know what you’re responsible for and what you’re not.  If you also delegate out cooking duties, everyone in the house can be treated to large, home-style meals every night of the week (or at least having good leftovers every night of the week) without having to cook all the time.  Not only that, one person making a big meal for everyone results in fewer dishes than if every housemate would make his or her own meal every evening. 

Just like when you were a kid, if everyone pitches in when taking care of cooking and cleaning, then everyone can be held accountable and things can be done faster and more efficiently than if you adapt an ad-hoc cleaning regimen.  Though a few people may grumble about the chore chart, it’s usually only those who weren’t doing anything to begin with.