#LaudryGoesOddEven: Let’s eliminate the outdated tags and Prejudices!

At my home, to be honest, we don’t have tags, “like its Women’s job” or “its man’s look out” so far as household chores are concerned unlike in our respective families where we grew up. My father used to share some of the household chores especially in holidays like that of cooking or cleaning (that to because he was passionate about them) but I don’t remember him cleaning clothes ever. So also my brothers whom I had never seen cleaning their clothes. That was what my mother used to do when the maid was absent. Similarly in my Hubby’s place, my father-in-law used clean his clothes (as he has an army background) but he had never shared any other household chores.

However with my hubby things are bit different as he had learnt to help his mother in household chores when he was in his teens especially as she wasn’t keeping well.

In fact when I was married and shifted to Mumbai, I was surprised when he asked me “not to wash his clothes”. Yah…truly I was surprised as I had never seen my brothers or father doing them.  Every weakened he would take all clothes of the week and clean them, dry them. Further he would iron them by himself. It was a habit as he was staying as a bachelor since few years before his marriage. To be honest, he was much better in cooking and cleaning as well than me. I will not say that he was sharing those works with me because “we were doing them together”. So from the very beginning I learnt that he never believes in “tags especially gender based” for household chores.

Things changed. Responsibility increased.  Work at home became greater than before. We went for maids to do some of such household chores like cleaning, washing clothes or dish-washing…etc.

Now also we have maids to do such works for us. But Problem arises when they stay on leave. I stay at home while my hubby goes for work. But still if the maid doesn’t turn up for a day or two, we don’t have any fuss. He does whatever possible in his availability of time and I do what I can do. Moreover if I’m busy in something, I don’t have to ask my hubby to take over the chore as he does them automatically. That’s an unspoken understanding between us.

You don’t believe, Once while watching movie “Aamdani Athani, Khracha Rupaya” in TV, in a particular scene where Govinda as character of “House Husband” was getting ridiculed by the other Characters like Johni Liver, Chandrachud Singh…etc,  my toddler son suddenly said…they are Gande Uncles (Bad Uncles).

Because somewhere in his sub-conscious mind - I guess - it must have been imprinted that “Dada washing clothes isn’t weird”. Isn’t what exactly we want to remove for the coming generation? Its laundry or any other household chores,

 Should we get divided by the responsibility while we are united by the marriage?

Ariel Matic challenge was an opportunity to tell the world what makes a home beautiful. Guys, my hubby is actually touring for his professional compulsion since three weeks (which was scheduled for one week actually). So I wasn’t sure with whom I should take the challenge with..

But fortunately that day our maid didn’t turn up. I was about to load the clothes in the washing machine when my “Just into teens” boy excitedly said…Mamma, shall I do it for today, I bet I can do it better than Dada”. I said yes and asked him to use Ariel Matic…because

First, it was a boon as he would be busy for a while doing something good thereby less headache for me to keep his energy level in control (Yah…holidays are on…You Know)

Second, now days he wants to do everything what his dada does with a competitive spirit. (May be that’s the way boys grow up with).

He didn’t want me to help him out in anything. I was bit worried because may be some clothes would be remained with “stubborn stains” which his little hands won’t be able to remove.

But he put the clothes into the machine, properly set it. Then watched his TV show. When it was over, he came by himself and took them to hang them to dry. Surprisingly Ariel Matic had done all the other works that was worried for. The clothes felt nice and smell good. There was no “ziddi daag” especially my sporty boy’s mitti wala T-shirt.

If washing machines can be created to reduce human effort, why not washing powders to minimize those extra efforts thereby eliminates the Gender biased label in Laundry…?

Frankly saying, I have a reservation when some advertisements of the washing powders or soap especially when they glorify “Mummy ki hath ki Safaai” because Laundry is no more the job of a particular gender in homes so also other household chores…especially when both partners work outside…isn’t it?

Glad that Ariel India took a different campaign which is the need of the present time…

Let my Hubby return from his tour...i will upload some more pictures....

                 

'I am taking part in the #LaundryGoesOddEvenChallenge by Ariel India at BlogAdda.'