TV stars view on 'house chores'

While technological progress has led to the proliferation of several labour-saving devices in the market yet, when we talk about housework, it is conveniently dismissed as a women's job. Caitlin Flanagan, the New York- based author of To Hell with All That: Loving and Loathing our Inner Housewife, feels that women bring more emotional baggage to this subject.

According to a report that appeared in New York Times, "Single women do twice the amount of housework compared to single men." Endorsing the same view, TV actor, Iqbal Khan says, "When my sister visited me recently, she turned my house upside down. She would make sure that the laundry, ironing, dusting and dishes were all in place. She would create a scene if she could not find any household item. I am staying alone, and I am not really obsessive about household chores."

Most women are conditioned from childhood to do their share of housework, but guys on the other hand are not encouraged to do so. Says TV actress, Kanchi Kaul, "I had gifted a wine bottle to my male friend. One month later when I visited his house, I found the same bottle lying in his cluttered bedroom. I got very angry and ensured that he cleared his room and placed the bottle in his bar."

TV actress Shweta Gulati is also of the opinion that men are messy by nature. "When my male buddies and I go on a trip, we usually share the room and they make a mess of the place. Their shoes, towels and clothes are thrown all over the place. I have to request them to tidy up. Sometimes it is very irritating and it gets difficult to stay in the same room with them."

A study at the University of Maryland found that women go to the extent of compromising on their sleep or leisure time to do household work. Rakhi Dureja, a college professor, says "My husband and I had to go to the US to attend a family wedding. There were some clothes lying unironed. I wanted to make sure that that I left no clothes unironed and that I left the house was in perfect condition. This of course took some time. We missed the flight and both of us had a big fight."

Neil Chethik, author of the book, VoiceMale: What Husbands think about their Wives, Sex, Housework and Commitment, polled 300 husbands in the US and found that, "Housework was the top most reason for disagreements between couples. It was higher on the list than sex, higher than raising the children, and ahead of any other issue."

Experts opine that there are biological and sociological reasons for the difference between the length of time men would like to spend on housework in comparison to women. Says psychiatrist, G.V.S. Murthy, "Biologically, a male brain is inclined towards problem solving and logical thinking. They do not derive happiness from ironing clothes and doing other household chores. On the other hand, a female brain usually enjoys artistic and domestic work. It is similar to the nesting instinct in birds that females have which makes them interested in doing work related to their homes. Sociologically speaking, men have traditionally been bread earners and women the homemakers. This also makes men less interested in housework."

However, not everybody agrees with the view that single men do less housework. TV actor Akashdeep Sehgal says, "A woman who does not enjoy housework might totally depend on her house help. Likewise there are a few men who enjoy doing their household chores. If I find my house in a mess, I will spend the day sorting it out." The same feeling is shared by TV actor Diwakar Pundir, who says "I used to spend an hour in household chores earlier when I had time on my hands and even today if my staff doesn't turn up, I even do my own cooking."