5 Chores Moms Don’t Like

Moms have a lot of chores on their plate, but there are a few that really stand out as the “dirty work.” These are the daily things that moms have to do but would really prefer not to, or at least could use a little help. Don’t make her feel like a storm trooper slave, now. Read on to find out what mom hates, and how you can help!

1. Picking Up the House

Yes, the piles of random items that are on the floor, chair and in the dog’s cage bother moms, but that doesn’t mean they want to be the one picking it all up. At first, a mom may pick it up a few times, but once she realizes that more items quickly take their place she retreats to “leave it” mode. Because even she offers rewards to the preschooler, husband and pets for not leaving out their toys, dirty dishes, or destroyed pet toys it won’t happen.

2. Turd Time

Whether it’s changing a poopie diaper or being left to pick up after the pets every time they feel the need to express themselves, it’s no fun. Poop is especially bad when it’s runny and you’re out and about with no back up clothes for your baby, or your dog decides to relieve her upset stomach on your child’s backyard toys. Dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles: Don’t ever say, “I don’t do poopie diapers” and hand the baby back if you want to be able to hold that baby.

3. Vacuuming

House cleaning must be an art form, because when you’re in the mood and some sort of upbeat motivational song is going on in your head it’s like cleaning is the best, most fun thing to do . . . but on a regular basis it’s a chore and the floor is one of the worst parts! Add on a husband, messy kid and extra hairy pets and you have tumbleweeds of pet hair, random toy bits, food splatter, and torn up dog toy parts all over the place — yuck! Be a handy spouse and vacuum once in a while. I seriously think house chores should be split by couples based on their likes and abilities (whether the mom stays home or not). Example: My husband is in charge of killing spiders and other bugs, fixing things, putting together furniture I buy, any garbage handling, dog poo and walks. (What he actually does is a bit shorter: puts together furniture that I buy, fixes things after some time has passed, walks dog and occasionally picks up poo.) But the point is that I have less on my plate when he helps out and “happy wife, happy life,” right?  Now to get to vacuuming for that mama in your life!

4. Carrying the Family Finances on Her Shoulders

Whether the mom in your life is a stay-at-home mom or working mama, she has the weight of family finances on her shoulders. Stay-at-home or work from home parents often stress about money because their choice to be home means spending differently and there can be a lot of pressure within the marriage and outside the marriage related to this. Be sure to be supportive and help her as she cuts coupons, downloads savings apps, and enters contests to keep savings big and family spending low. Though they’re bringing in their own income, working moms feel the stress too. Women don’t typically make as much as men, and it’s a constant balance game to make working worthwhile and enough to pay for childcare and some other bills. How can you help? Talk with your partner about sharing the responsibility of saving and keeping an eye out for ways to save. Be supportive of her work life choice that was made for her family life with you, it’s never easy.

5. Being the Only House Chef

There’s nothing sexier than a spouse who cooks . . . well, OK there is, but your whole family will appreciate you trying your hand at dinner or school lunches as often as you can. Make it a part of the family routine with one day per week or more, and you’ll notice a happy shift in your home. Cooking will allow your spouse time to get some things done she needed to (even if that’s 10 minutes of alone time), and allow you a great way to interact with the kids through cooking together activities.

Don’t see your absolute worst chore listed? Comment about it below and it might be added to the list!