Woman Does All The Housework For Her Family And Says That’s How She Prefers It
If you have ever lived with a partner or roommate, you're likely well aware of the individual things that need to be maintained in order to keep the peace in the home when it comes to cleaning up after yourself. Most partners come up with a system that divides the work fairly evenly between the people in the household.
For instance, one person cooks dinner while the other does the dishes. Or one person takes out the trash, and the other does a load of laundry. Whatever the system is, people usually find a way to divide the responsibilities to make life a little easier for one another. One woman caused a bit of a stir online when she admitted to TheSun that she is solely responsible for all the household duties in her home.
She Does All The Cleaning So Her Partner Doesn't Have To
A woman from the United Kingdom named Emily Saunders has gained attention online after revealing that she takes on all of the housekeeping and homemaking roles so that her partner doesn't have to.
Emily is a 24-year-old mom of two — a two-year-old named Elijah, and a six-month-old named Finley. Her partner, James Preston, works as a steeplejack and Emily is adamant that "he doesn't need to do anything" when it comes to helping out around the home.
"Kids Benefit From Mum Being At Home"
Only 7 months after meeting James in a bar, Emily became pregnant with her first child and decided to quit her job so that she could focus on being a stay-at-home mom. She took her new job as a homemaker very seriously.
While she says she is not critical of working mothers, she believes that "kids benefit from Mum being at home and knowing they are well cared for by the person who loves them most."
She Does All The Housekeeping And Expects No Help
She continues to reveal that she cooks all the food for her husband and boys in the day, and then stays busy cleaning and organizing the house.
That includes dusting, tidying, and vacuuming regularly — and her partner James is not expected to contribute in any way.
She Wakes Up At 7 AM And Goes To Bed Exhausted At 1 AM
Of her home life, she says: "When people hear my partner James hasn't cleaned the [bathroom] in nearly two years; they're stunned. But I don't care."
"It’s not his job. In fact, housework, in general, isn’t his job. I do everything, getting up at 7 am and stopping at 1 am when I fall exhausted into bed." Can you say super mom?
He Doesn't Usually Offer To Help But She Rarely Would Accept Anyway
Emily describes a typical day for her saying: "I spend most days in a constant whirl of cleaning, putting toys away, and doing laundry. It's hard-going, but I really want a clean house for James to get back to around 5 pm."
Her partner James comes home and relaxes for a bit before making dinner, because "he loves cooking," and she is responsible for the clean-up after. She says he doesn't usually offer to help but she would rarely accept it anyways.
The Last Time She Asked Him To Clean Up Was Two Years Ago
Since they've fallen into this routine, Emily says: "I think the last time I asked [him to clean] was when we moved houses nearly two years ago, and I got him to clean the bathroom, and he never makes the bed."
She then gives a little insight into what their evenings look like, saying that around 7 pm after the children are down, they have a couple of hours together before James "nods off around 10 pm." Then she cleans for an hour before studying, and preps the baby's bottles for the next day, which takes about another hour.
Stay-At-Home Mom Is Also Studying To Become A Lawyer
On top of being a super stay-at-home mom, Emily is also studying to get an Open University degree in Law. She says that while she loves the program, it requires lots of reading, which she usually does at around 11 pm after James and the kids are long asleep.
She eventually wants to become a lawyer but acknowledges the extra challenges she will face in order to still do the majority of the housework.
Some People Think Her Approach Is Archaic Or Anti-Feminist
Well aware of the criticisms she has faced, Emily says "I don't think it’s archaic or un-feminist like some people have claimed; I just think it’s the best way of doing things — and only fair at the moment as he’s the breadwinner and he’s exhausted when he gets home."
It is kind of her to consider her partner's energy levels after a long days work, but it would be just as easy for him to consider Emily's energy levels after taking care of the home all day, and help where he can.
"I Like A Clean House And Cleaning. It's My Choice"
She goes on to admit that it does annoy her when people call her "old-fashioned."
She says: "I ENJOY what I do. I like a clean house and cleaning, and it’s my choice. It’s possible for me to still do all this and be a feminist."
Emily Says She's Not Anti-Feminist
Emily is clear that just because she does the cooking and the cleaning does not mean she is anti-feminist, especially because she says she enjoys her responsibilities.
Every family dynamic is different, and what works for one may not work for another. To each their own, but maybe Emily would also enjoy a night on the couch every now and then — you never know until you try!
