We’ve Got ‘Lazy’ Husbands All Wrong
We should all try to be more like them.
A fellow mom and friend of mine posted this in a private group the other day:
My husband told me that he ‘can’t keep going’ on five hours of sleep a night. Doesn’t he realize that I’m getting even less sleep with nursing the baby at night? Plus I’m getting the kids ready for school in the morning? And packing all the lunches? And scheduling all the playdates? I’m about to snap here.
This was followed by a lot of sympathetic comments about how this husband needs to stop complaining and carry his weight, and I get it. My friend is clearly overworked, and she needs help. The amount of pressure she’s under is totally unsustainable.
But, does this mean that her husband is wrong? I don’t think so. Getting five hours of sleep every night is also unsustainable. He’s right to point that out.
I think the difference between them is just that he feels comfortable recognizing his limits regarding family duties. It isn’t surprising that he feels empowered to do this; men are socially expected to do less housework and childcare than women—even as children boys have fewer chores and yet get paid more for them—so saying things like “I‘m too tired to do the dishes” seems reasonable to them.
