Tag Team Parenting

is a fantastic theory. So is "fair division of labour" and doing everything "50/50". Somehow, in my house - it doesn't happen.

I accept that i work only 4 days out of 7 and am therefore home more often than Matt, and need to cover more of the domestic cleaning chores. I do get that, its always been that way, and I've always done it. I just wish, that every now and then, it wasn't completely futile.

Thursday is my cleaning day and I spend the whole day cleaning the house. My list looks like this

- Clean Lucy's room - change her sheets, dust her shelves and vacuum her carpet
- Clean our room - fold the washing, put away, change our sheets, make our bed and Vacuum the carpet.
- Clean study - file away documents, wipe down computer desks,Vacuum carpet and put away lost toys from Lucy's room / playroom
- Clean toilet and mop floor
- Clean bathroom, bath, tiles, shower, basin and mop floor. Put out fresh towels, and bathmat
- Clean lounge room, put all Lucy's toys away in playroom or her room, DVDs back in cases and on the shelves, clean junk off coffee table and buffet unit, Vacuum lounge and hallway areas.
- Clean kitchen, clean off appliances and put away, wash dishes, unload dishwasher, wipe benches and cupboards down, clean sink, sweep and mop tiles.
-Clean Dining area - remove junk from bench area, wipe down bench and table, take out recycling, sweep and mop floor
- Playroom - shake out rug, sweep floor, put all toys away, mop floor
-Laundry - do the washing, dry the washing, put away the washing
-Bins - Wash and disinfect
-Clean out and re-stock fridge
- Write grocery list
-Bang head against wall and cry a little because in a few hours Matt will be home, and my house will be trashed again.

While I'm doing this,( cleaning not head banging!) Lucy is playing quietly, maybe watching some Dora. If i turn on the music, then she dances along behind me "helping"

Its not that challenging to clean the house with Lucy up and active. Its something she's always seen me do, and so now, she helps me out. Once its all done, then we can play. We always have lunch together, and read a story before she goes down for a nap. Then she goes to sleep, and i continue cleaning.

I don't get a break on a Thursday. I'm at it all day before Matt comes home and then we go out for dinner at the shops and have a wander around and get groceries. Im not at work, but I'm certainly not at home sitting around enjoying my day off work.

Routine right? In one day, i achieve A LOT, so that when the weekend comes, the house is tidy, and everything is neat and ready to go so we can relax - right?

WRONG. So very wrong. I manage to get my part done. Every single week, i clean the house spotless. I collapse into bed (on clean sheets mind you!) exhausted and happy because its done, and i don't have to do it again for a few more days.

Until the next night when Matt comes home, and leaves stuff all over the house. And glasses on the coffee table. Towels on the bathroom floor. Food in the kitchen. And bag in the lounge room. And clothes in the hallway. Shoes in the doorway.

Then he asks what i want him to do on Saturday while I'm at work and he's at home with Lucy.

Last week i gave him a list.

-Do the washing
-Fold and put away the washing
-Pick up a few things from COLES
- Get a haircut (this was up to him)
- Tidy the study.

That was it. All he had to do, in an entire day, apart from watching Lucy, was that.

He folded one basket of washing, (that i had done on the Thursday) out of 4.
He left it all on top of the drawers.
He didn't even START the washing, its still waiting for him
Admittedly he tidied the study.
I went to coles after work.

Apparently, its because 'he's looking after Lucy".

Ya' know what - I also, "look after Lucy" so one of things is being said.

A. I don't look after her properly, which is why I can get the house so clean - I'm clearly neglecting her.
B. I am just a super freak, and my husband (who i love and adore) is normal.
C. My husband, has no idea just how much i DO do around here, and until i stop doing it won't quite get the point.
D. I am an uber bitch and need to get a grip.

Personally, I'm going with letter C. So today, I'm cleaning the house.

And next week. I'm going on strike.