housework

Work-life balance: Finding the Swede spot

July 26, 2010

A quiet revolution has been taking place in Sweden for 15 years, affecting everything from the gender pay gap to workplace culture to relationships between parents and children. It all started at home. Here’s a link to the fascinating New York Times story about this phenomenon. Now here’s my distilled version—with original illustrations! This Swedish [...]

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Who clips the nails? (Part IV. How it got this way)

Thumbnail image for Who clips the nails? (Part IV. How it got this way) July 21, 2010

This is part of a series of posts about how working couples share the under-the-radar chores that, taken together, represent the “psychic burden” of parenting. Be sure to read these parts first: Part I. Survey results Part II. Why it’s fair Part III. Why it’s not fair My last post explored how parents (mostly moms) [...]

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Who clips the nails? (Part III. Why it’s not fair)

Thumbnail image for Who clips the nails? (Part III. Why it’s not fair) July 20, 2010

This is part of a series of posts about how working couples share the under-the-radar chores that, taken together, represent the “psychic burden” of raising children. Be sure to read these parts first: Part I. Survey results Part II. Why it’s fair My last post looked at why half of the parents surveyed felt they [...]

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Who clips the nails? (Part II. Why it’s fair)

Thumbnail image for Who clips the nails? (Part II. Why it’s fair) July 19, 2010

This is part of a series of posts about how working couples share the under-the-radar chores that, taken together, represent the “psychic burden” of raising a family. Part. I is here. Working moms are bearing more (sometimes much more) of the “psychic burden” of parenting than working dads. Yet, when asked in my recent survey, [...]

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Who clips the nails? (Part I. Survey results)

Thumbnail image for Who clips the nails? (Part I. Survey results) July 14, 2010

This is the first of a series of posts about how working couples share the under-the-radar tasks that, taken together, represent the “psychic burden” of parenting. Even though studies show fathers are changing more diapers and folding more laundry than ever, mothers are still bearing most of the “psychic burden” of parenting—the scheduling, organizing, and [...]

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Survey: Who clips their nails?

Thumbnail image for Survey: Who clips their nails? June 14, 2010

Studies show today’s fathers are doing significantly more child care and housework than their fathers did. Here’s my question: Are these dads just folding more laundry, or are they also taking responsibility for the complicated logistics of family life? And here’s my other question: Do heterosexual couples divide up chores differently than gay and lesbian [...]

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Working moms on the verge of a nervous breakdown

March 24, 2010

My friend Jane has a problem. She works full-time for a government agency in California and has two little girls in preschool. Jane is really good at her job. Jane is losing her mind.

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How does The Man do it?

March 19, 2010

Men at the top of the org chart are more likely than their colleagues to have a stay-at-home wife. Perhaps this explains why today’s workplace is so out of sync with today’s workers. The guys in charge don’t fold their own laundry.

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Mommy doesn’t have a “job”

Thumbnail image for Mommy doesn’t have a “job” March 17, 2010

When it was time for me to leave, Ruby ran up to her teacher and said, “Mrs. Thomas, can my mom stay until snack?”

“Sure…but I don’t know if she has time. She might have to get to work.” Very diplomatic, that Mrs. Thomas.

“Oh, she doesn’t have to go to work,” Ruby beamed mischievously. “My mommy doesn’t have a job!”

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