Battle Of Wills...

[2sp_]

I'm currently in a battle of wills with Mr P over the emptying of the dishwasher. It's supposed to be one of his jobs, but I can't even remember the last time he did it.

So, it was on yesterday and finished it's cycle last night. I switched it of and opened it to dry. The dishes are still in there... I'm determined to leave it until he empties it.

Dirty dishes are now piling up on the worktop above the dishwasher, the sink is full and we're running out of cutlery.

Does anyone else indulge in silly battles like this with their significant other?

[daffy654]

No.

I have been very ill for the last 4 days and have been completely unable to do any housework, my oh has done it all without being asked :)

[woofgang]

Nope, things were either discussed and resolved or dismissed as being silly and joked about.

[2sp_]

It is a silly, jokey type of battle, just to be clear! He'll do it (I'm sure) at some point, he enjoys winding me up!

Not in a mean way.

I hope you feel better soon, daffy.

[ummmm]

No. I couldn't look at the mess.

[2sp_]

It's driving me up the wall, ummmm. I'm trying to stay out of the kitchen so I don't have to look.

It's very childish, I know!

[cazzz1975]

it is very childish, like ummm I couldnt cope with seeing the clutter pile up.

[2sp_]

In my own way I'm trying to prove a point. I don't want to spend the rest of my life doing 100% of the housework, like my mother and his mother have done. I don't ask him to do much, just empty the blinkin' dishwasher occasionally!

[ummmm]

I don't blame you for standing your ground.

My OH barely does any housework but that's because I'm home all day. He doesn't mind a bit of hoovering though.

[MadMen]

As above, the sight of all that mess would drive me up the wall!
Good luck with trying to prove your point. He sounds like my Dad, and stuck in his ways. You're fighting a losing battle! :-)

[cazzz1975]

Have you tried asking him? Men dont notice filth as much as women generally, I tend to do most of the housework as my OH works shifts.

[magsmay]

yes -its his job to empty the bin in the kitchen -he usually forgets so I pile it up balancing one thing on top of another until he takes the hint -it would actually be less stressfull just to empty the damn thing myself but its the principle

[2sp_]

It's not that he's lazy or sexist, he has an appalling memory and forgets that it needs emptied. I'm hoping if he spots the piles of dishes he might think to look.

I think he's just been used to his mother doing it all and not complaining, and to an extent I can be guilty of just doing stuff because I can't stand the mess. Just trying to retrain him! Do you think I could get him an electric collar?

[ummmm]

I don't think to ask him to do stuff unless he happens to be standing next to me.

[2sp_]

Yes, Cazzz, I have asked him. Yesterday in fact.

It is the principal, Mags. We're not arguing or falling out over it. There's no atmosphere or bickering. I'm just quietly waiting to see if he empties it!

[albaqwerty]

I have borrowed a crystal ball.
2sp's post in 2016 will be
Woohoo, he's finally emptied it.

2pal, they don't see these things. Their poor brains are wired differently.
(Guess who putt he new toilet seat on the loo?!)

[2sp_]

Just for you, Alba in 2016 I'm going to post that!

He just doesn't see stuff needing done. Drives me nuts.

I do find it amazing that they can walk past a full bin/pile of washing to go away/dirty dish/kitchen on fire and just not see it.

[albaqwerty]

I've got to the stage that I just shake my head and quietly grin to myself.
(Now and again I do have a hissy fit, about 2 a year)

You may like this, there's 4 of us in this home, and each of us swear blind that we are the only ones who change the loo roll :-D

[Maydup]

How about waiting until you are cooking and ask him if he could give you a hand with something. When he arrives ask him to clear the dishwasher because you're running out of space. Then he can fill it again. Simple.

We don't have a dishwater,OH does the washing up!

[bednobs]

i am very lucky as i will always win these types of battle - i have a far far higher tolerance for mess than he does. However, i realised a few years ago that we were arguing far too much over housework, so we got a cleaner

[2sp_]

Oooohhh, I'd love a cleaner, bednobs! Hugely jealous!