Just wondering really - should the partner who stays at home be responsible for ALL the chores, shopping, cooking and all of the other things which go with running a home and looking after small children (x3)?

No, but we always are - you just have to train the three kids up.

Voted that the partner going out of the house to work for money should do some chores. The one staying at home unpaid is working just as hard (and probably longer hours as children don't clock watch). Doesn't do the children any good seeing one parent apparently doing all the work and the other being out of the house doing who knows what (in the mind of the child), coming home and doing nothing.

God, I've gone all serious again

No.

Obviously whilst one is working, the one at home does what needs to be done.

When both are at home (evenings and weekends) the chores should be shared 50/50.

Great in theory, but realistically it just doesn't happen that way if the partner at home is a woman. Different if the parent at home is a male, the working female usually feels an obligation to put in some time with domestic duties. It's genetic and the sooner we accept what we can't change, the sooner we can relax and just get on with what has to be done (or not done). Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and all that.

Agree with the above...thats what we do..

And therein lies the whole issue.

What needs to be done while the other is working. Can the grass wait to be cut till the weekend when the other half is home? What about hoovering, cleaning the toilets. Can that wait till the working person is off?

All I'm saying is that should be the area of debate, rather than, should the working person do nothing. Rather, at what point do you say the non-(paid)working person is taking the piss and leaving lots of work to be done at the weekends.

JTL

NO!!! my hubby does his fair share he cooks most of the meals as he loves to cook, i do most of the other stuff but he will help if asked

Completely agree with the above and i voted the same way.

Just because a person stays at home, doesn't mean they do nothing! It's hard work too being a stay at home mum (i have 3)

I stay at home and hubby works. He cuts the grass, does some DIY etc on the weekends but during the week I do most things including getting up early enough to make his lunch before he goes because it was my choice to be the housewife/stay at home mum, but he does do the odd thing in the evenings too, like stack the dishwasher after dinner, make me a cuppa etc. The kids have to do chores as well now that they are older, although if the truth be told I still do most things.

The times I expect him to help out is if we are having people over on a weekend and the house needs tidying etc, then its all hands on deck.

Jane

I voted option 1 on behalf of my wife.

hee hee hee

When I was the one working outside the home and my husband was the stay at home dad he did 90% of what got done. We did the shopping together because it was our hour or so out sans children but otherwise I came home to a nicely cleaned house and dinner on the table. When I was home with young children I did the majority of the domestic duties.

Our children are teens now, so even though I've been off work for a couple of months I don't do it all. I do about 50% of the household stuff, the kids do another 25% and the old man 25%.

I think if you are at home then the housework is your 'job' - the childcare is another matter, that is a shared responsibility when you are both home.

My OH works long hours, often leaving the house at 7.30 and returning about 7.30 in the evening and therefore I don't expect him to have to do the cleaning or cooking. However, he will stack and empty the dishwasher, make tea etc and at weekends he loves to potter in the garden doing most of the outside jobs.

I agree with you, but more than 50% (I think I am in a minority of 1)

I have enough to do at home without having to do housework !!!