Who does the house work when you are sick?

[jujsky]

Dh does the minimal amount of housework required to keep the house functioning when I'm sick (I'm on day 3 of being miserably sick with a cold and fever). He does the dishes and cooks. Our floor is a complete disaster right now as it hasn't been vacuumed in 4 days, and we have 5 pets. Lots of hair tufts and pieces of chewed-up dog bones on the floor. The laundry is piling up. The bathrooms are both filthy. If I specifically ask him to take care of these things he will, but I feel bad. He works all day and has the dishes and food on top of that now, plus he has to get out of work early to take the kids to their activities. When he's sick, I don't have to go to his job and take care of everything so I think it's unreasonable that I'd expect him to take care of everything in the house on top of working.

[DaffodilDreams]

No one. Seriously. The rest of my family has permanent invisible blinders. What bothers me doesn't phase them one bit.

[livingnlearning]

I have complained for years that when I'm sick my work is still waiting for me when I get better! I actually feel a little better knowing that it's not just me and my family that does this... :001_huh:

[Lily_Grace]

Dh and I came to the agreement that since we both work during the day, we split household duties at night and on the weekends. That means that yes, I pick up after ourselves as we go and do light housework between checking math problems and playing horsey with the baby, but I'm not a maid and I'm not a door mat and I'm certainly not going to work from dawn til dusk while everyone else sits around. Dh and I working together means we both have time to relax, and The Kid is responsible mostly for his own messes and personal areas. He's on the Accountable Kids chore chart so I just switch out chores around the house he can do.

[Danestress]

My DH would definitely pitch in and clean. He would sweep, do dishes, do laundry.

 

But it would look different than my clean. It wouldn't be less clean, but it would be less "finished."

 

I like to walk in the kitchen and have the counters clear, the table clear except for flowers or a center piece, and all the chairs pushed in evenly. He would think this is nonsense. Why push in the chairs if you are just going to pull them all out again later?

 

I like my bed made neatly. He thinks that's ridiculous.

 

So if I were really sick for a period of time, he would do all the necessary cleaning, but it would still make me utterly insane.

[mrbmom77]

If I'm sick the house is kept running by the kids. They've both done their own laundry and the towels for 3.5 years and they trade off the bathroom and kitchen weekly. I only take care of the living room, my own laundry, and my room. So, if I'm sick, I ask someone to sweep the living room and throw another load of laundry in. They prefer me to make dinner, but can manage if I'm not up to it. If there is anyone in the house over the age of about 8, there is no reason for Mom to be doing everything. JMO, YMMV, etc.

ETA: Forgot their ages aren't in my signature anymore. Boy, 14, autism and girl, 12.

[mommymilkies]

I do. My dh has helped with housework exactly twice. For about 4 days following the birth of baby #5 and when I had ear surgery recently. Not for long, and not all of the housework. Dishes once in awhile, folding laundry, yelling at kids to pick up toys. I've given up hoping for help, even if I were on the verge of death.

 

Dh takes sick days quite often and hangs out playing guitar and playing on his iPod. He never picks up a finger to help. Even with just barely a sniffle. I've had to do dishes with a 103 fever. Even asking-it won't get done. I get a little bitter about that. I don't get sick days or help.

Edited November 19, 2011 by mommymilkies