by Pierre Roustan

Created on: September 27, 2008   Last Updated: May 29, 2011

All right, brace yourself. I'm going to shock, possibly, half the readers here (being half the readers might be female). You ready? Here it goes: I am a husband and I believe it's essential that we do the housework. Or at least help with the work. You heard me. Shocked? You must be (the males in the crowd are probably keeling over with their eyes rolling into their brains).

But I stand by my belief. You ladies out there are probably thinking there's some catch. Everyone knows men don't do housework. It's not 'manly. 'We're not maids or we are not your slaves.' We need to be MEN. Big, burly, ruling men who have a right to sit around and do nothing after a hard day's work; and of course, it's the acceptable role of the wife in the house to take care of the house. That's her job. That's how it's been for years. It's been established. We don't have a problem with it. It's not broken. Why fix it?

I'm going to  change your perceptions here, people. I promise I'm not a few sandwiches short of a picnic here. In fact, I've got plenty of sandwiches. Even some fettuccine Alfredo and some ribeye strips. Lick your lips. I cooked it all on a grill for you. That shows you how much of a man I am.

Here's the thing: since when did we even have the right or the place to attach any stigma to housework that says wives were 'maids'? Or 'slaves'? Any husband who insists on not doing housework because he doesn't want to be a 'maid' admits he accepts that stigma for a wife. We accept, even embrace, after all these generations, that the wives of our country were nothing but 'slaves' in the house. Shame on us. Wives in our history did it all the time. What's wrong with husbands doing it then?

The problem is the stigma. Why should there be a stigma? Why do we have to attach any stigma to something as simple as 'housework'?

As a husband, I found it important to care about my house. I took it as my responsibility. Responsibility is a mark of maturity, nobility, strength, honor, character. Am I correct? Therefore, if I take housework as my responsibility, doesn't that add on more maturity, nobility, etc.? More importantly, character? I would think so. If I'm the 'man' of the house, wouldn't it be my responsibility to at least 'help' take care of it? After all, I'm no dictator. A true 'ruler' (for lack of a better term) takes care of his 'kingdom' (again, lack of a better term!). So again, I ask, what is wrong with a husband taking care of his 'kingdom'?

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