Cleaning up after the honeymoon

What happened

A University of Michigan study released last week found that women do seven hours per week more housework after they get married, while husbands do, on average, an hour less than they did when they were single. “It's a well-known pattern,” said the study’s director, Frank Stafford. “And the situation gets worse for women when they have children.” (eFluxMedia)

What the commentators said

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So much for “looking for a partner for life and for help with the house” when you’re picking a husband, said Jane Akre in an InjuryBoard.com blog. Single guys were the men who reported spending the most time on household chores, while married women with three kids did 28 hours of housework a week, compared to just 12 hours for single women.

“Many women will wonder why this needs researching,” said News-Medical.net. And men might note the flip side of the “well-known pattern” described by the study—one reason women end up doing more housework is that men pick up additional hours mowing the lawn and doing other chores outside. “But women need not despair.” The average married woman does 20 hours of housework now, but in 1976 women did an average of 26 hours of housework a week, while men did about six!”

Men have a good reason to start scrubbing more dishes, said Jessie Whitfield in College Times. Another recent study—by Scott Coltrane of California Riverside University—found that men who do more housework have more sex. “Since the beginning of time women have been expected to clean and cook, so it's no wonder when their man pitches in, they would feel appreciative.”