Kids
Why These Chores Should No Longer Be Done Based on Gender
Chores shouldn’t be gender-specific. It’s 2022. Time to get with the program!
Gender appeared to be a convenient excuse for many not to do certain things and to pass the buck. Boys didn’t learn how to cook because only girls received toy kitchen sets. Girls didn’t receive car kits because toy cars were marketed to little boys. But in this day and age, gender should not serve as an excuse for one not to do a particular task. Here are some chores anyone and everyone should learn or do.
1. Everyone needs to learn how to cook!
Unless our sons can survive purely on water or drinks, cooking is not just a girl thing. Everybody needs to learn how to cook. One can learn to do so much by just boiling water or cooking rice. But also—nobody should judge if a man can make an amazing pasta dish and a woman manages to burn water.
2. Getting both involved in fixing the car keeps the whole family safe.
Cars get the family everywhere—for work and/or road trips. A lot of fights at home are because we sometimes don’t understand how much time and effort it takes to fix a car. Unless girls are okay with riding a rickety, old, metal, rust bucket for a deathtrap then, it’s good to teach our daughters how to fix a car or even change a tire. Especially if they’re the ones driving around often!
3. Sweeping or vacuuming the floor is for both men and women.
Asthma doesn’t choose based on gender. It’s based on one’s immune system. If we’re planning to send our kids to college, some of them will have to maintain their own dorm rooms or apartments. They won’t have anyone to clean up after them.
4. Doing the laundry.
Unless they have a severe skin allergy to detergent (and some even manage to cope by wearing three layers of gloves: rubber, plastic, and surgical), both our sons and daughters need to learn how to wash their clothes. Our daughters eventually do because of their period stains but our sons do too for whatever they get involved in.
5. Sewing up clothes because anybody can get into a wardrobe malfunction.
Be it pants, a shirt, or a dress, everyone is bound to get involved in some fashion disaster or wardrobe malfunction. Besides, it gets extra uncomfortable finding out there’s a big hole in one of the places you’d rather not have. It may not be professional but it’s enough to get through the event without feeling uncomfortable.
6. Everyone needs to know how to fix pipes.
Filipinos take a bath often because of the hot weather. But a lot of times, the plumbing is left for dad to fix. Though, that’s not something only men should do. In case dad’s sick or unavailable, mom might need to take over.
Splitting the housework will make life a lot easier.
Years of marketing and media made us think that there are chores specific to certain genders. But that isn’t always the case especially when everyone in the house relies on that specific person. It can get overwhelming for everybody at home when chores are not split simply because of gender. Besides, it’s a good time to teach the kids some chores, too. So that when they live on their own, they’re not lost.
More things about gender that seem confusing? Here are some stories!
This Couple Shares How Families Can Be Better Allies to the LGBTQ+ Community
Out and Proud: A Former Editor Shares His Journey to Gender Identity
Nathalie Africa-Verceles: Feminism in PH Parenting
