He- we, She-we, We-we

This post is for you couples that don't have clear communication when it comes to division of labor. I wish I could claim credit for thinking of this. I didn't. I read it in a farm magazine, but thought it was brilliant. It sure cuts to the chase.  Here is a sample conversation that may take place at your  (or my) house:

Wife:  "We need to unplug the bathroom drain."

Husband: "Do you have a mouse in your pocket?"

Let me define the terms for you.

He-we:  These are chores or tasks that largely fall on the man of the house.  Things that involve heavy lifting, he-man tools, etc. She may have to help a little bit, but it's largely his baby.

She-we:  These are chores or tasks that largely fall on the woman of the house.  Things that involve making the place cleaner, or prettier, or tastier, or generally less stinky, since the old adage "A man makes a camp, a woman makes a home", is,  generally speaking, a basic truism (channeling Gopher Wad now).  However, even though it may be a She-we task, it doesn't mean She might not need a little help with the task. Never, ever, forget that SHE is the boss, however, on this particular occasion.

We-we:  These are chores or tasks that involve both of you.  It's a joint effort. This is the trickiest category, since it very often involves a power struggle.  You'll have to work this one out between you. Child care and

 yard work are tricky areas, but I have faith that compromises can be made.

And then there is  the "Royal" we.  That's a conversation that would go like this:

She:  "We need to cut down that dead tree before it falls on the house and kills us."

He:  "I'll call Handy Dandy Tree Cutting Service right away." 

This is a perfectly reasonable response from He, since he knows cutting down the tree is not going to happen if  She has to be counted on to actually do it, and He knows he isn't going to do it either. It is a royal we event, meaning more than likely a phone call will be made and a third party will make it happen. These are the easiest we-events of all.  So there you have it. He-we, She-we, We-we. What could be simpler?
  I hope I've helped make life a little easier for you. You're welcome.

Blessings,
Brenda