“He’s an overgrown child” is one of the usual complaints wives have about their husbands. It isn’t new among women to share stories about their spouses leaving used socks lying around the bedroom floor as if expecting someone to pick up after them.
Today’s post highlights these frustrating moments as women around the internet share their experiences. You’re about to see photos of dirty clothes a few inches from the laundry basket, pairs of shoes on a clean bedsheet, and screenshots of text messages from men wanting a “traditional wife.”
Ladies, we recognize your exasperation. Gentlemen, we can definitely do better.
#1 This Is What Happens When I Get Sick. Dishes And Other Housework Don't Get Done
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#2 I Did That All The Time When I Was Married
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#3 How My Mum's Husband Leaves The Kitchen After His Breakfast Every Day
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The unequal division of labor is one of the common themes in this post. According to licensed marriage and family therapist Kate Engler, it’s also one of the top complaints from her female clients.
In an interview with Fatherly, Engler says wives feel burdened by obligations seemingly dropped on their laps, from running errands to scheduling appointments.
“They feel like they have to be the manager of all of those things,” Engler said of her clients.
#4 My Husband Decided To Trim His Hair This Morning Before Leaving For Work And I Am Really Tempted To Just Ignore This And Use Bidet And Bath Faucet And See How Long This Stays Here
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#5 "Don't Put The Socks Away, I'll Still Wear Them"
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#6 Anyone Else’s Partner Put Empty Dishes Back In Fridge? Not The First And Definitely Not The Last Sadly
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The “overgrown child” comment was from one of Sam Marion’s clients. In the same interview, the Georgia-based marriage counselor shared how many women are frustrated by how their husbands expect them to do house chores after a long workday.
The husband then becomes another “kid” that the wife needs to take care of in addition to her motherly obligations.
#7 Red Flag
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#8 And Expected To Do The Cleanup
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#9 My Answer To That Has Always Been “No One Asked Me To Do It, So Why Should I Have To Ask You?”
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While some posts are framed humorously, this unequal division of labor can have hefty consequences. A study published in the Brazilian Journal of Epidemiology revealed that wives who feel burdened by their home lives may experience more depressive symptoms.
These burdens may also affect a person’s physical health. Another study published by the American Psychosomatic Society saw a link between people who feel more responsible for household chores and worsened cardiovascular health. These findings apply to both men and women.
#10 Husband Leaves His Dirty Clothes And Boots On Just Changed Sheets
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#11 The State My Husband Leaves Our Kitchen In
I don't even understand the mindset that allows you to leave the cabinets like this.
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#12 Yeah Real "Funny"
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Other studies have revealed that housework inequality may affect the relationship’s stability, increasing the likelihood of separation.
Experts point to traditional gender roles as one of the primary reasons for the uneven distribution of labor around the house. Men tend to see housework as “mundane” and “repetitive,” often dismissing it as “women’s work.”
#13 My Boyfriend's Dirty Clothes And Basket Are Just 10 Centimeters Away
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#14 My Husband Decided That This Is Clean Enough To Put It Back With The Clean Dishes
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#15 Husband And Kids Always Leave Their Shoes In Front Of The Shoe Rack
This truly annoys me to no end. I'll often trip on the shoes or they'll block the door.
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Relationships are teamwork, and both people involved must pull their weight to keep the ship afloat. For husbands, a good start would be to take on any tasks they can, such as bathing the kids and putting them to bed.
“Don’t make a grand proclamation to your partner about what you’re going to start doing differently ― just start doing,” therapist Dr. Kurt Smith told HuffPost.
#16 A Month After Moving In With My Boyfriend, I Find This In The Fridge
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#17 Where My Partner Thinks Empty Rolls Go
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#18 The Morning After A Summer Party I Was So Proud That My Husband Remembered To Put Away The Leftover Pulled Pork. I Should've Known There Was A Catch
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Women often have to balance household chores with their personal and professional lives, which can be exhausting. As a doting spouse, recognizing these efforts and showing gratitude can go a long way.
As Los Angeles-based couples therapist Katlin Kindman LCSW explained, a genuine display of gratefulness can help strengthen the bond between the couple.
“[It] can fuel more motivation to take over some tasks with increased eagerness and ease!” Kindman said.
#19 Last Night I Asked My Husband To Put Some Spaghetti On The Stove So I Could Start Dinner When I Got Home
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#20 Dear Husband, Is It Too Much To Ask That You Sort The Silverware When Unloading The Dishwasher?
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#21 When You Ask Your Husband To Put A Heater In The Bathroom And He Does
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We’d like to hear from you, too, readers. Are any of you going through these experiences? How are you handling the division of household chores? Let us know in the comments!
#22 My Husband Will Never Close A Draw Or Shut A Cupboard
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#23 My Husband's Empty Contact Cases. And The Garbage 2 Ft Away
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#24 He Can Build Me A House But He Can't Change A Kitchen Roll
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#25 Asked My Husband To Cut Up Some Watermelon For The Baby’s Breakfast
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#26 When Your Husband Is Looking For Something While You Are In The Shower And Seemingly Can't Shut Any Draw He Opens? Either That Or We Have A Ghost
He is nowhere to be seen, so maybe they were making a quick escape from something? Or going out to buy bacon?
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#27 Dude, It’s The Dirty Socks! They’re On The Kitchen Counter, The Bed Headboard, The Dining Table, My Desk, The TV Stand, In The Dog's Mouth. Anywhere But The Laundry
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#28 So Men’s Brains Actually Are Not Wired Differently To Be Bad At Noticing Dirty Towels On The Floor
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#29 How My Partner Stacks The Dishes To Dry
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#30 This Dude Slept Through Our Lunch Date And Blames Me (Because I Don’t Exchange Numbers Until Meeting/Vibe Check). Because, Apparently, I Should’ve Woken Him Up And Waited
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#31 My Now Ex Boyfriend Has Been Sending Me Texts Non Stop. I Sent Him A Message Saying Me Moving Out And Us Breaking Up Is For The Best, And This Was His Response
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#32 I Asked My Husband To Hang Up My Dresses, Not Quite What I Meant
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#33 I Don't Ask You If I Should Do The Washing Up, You Shouldn't Either
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#34 Can't Do Anything By Themselves
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#35 Dog Destroyed Trim
Left my husband in charge of our dogs while the kids and I visited my family, he chose to stay at his brothers and only let our dogs out once a day. Yesterday he sent me this picture and proceeds to blame it on me.
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#36 Where The Toilet Paper Goes vs. Where My Husband Chose To Put It
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#37 I Mean Seriously? And My Husband Complains I Leave Dishes In The Sink Not Rinsed. At Least They're In The Sink
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#38 There Are New Toilet Paper Rolls Right There
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#39 The Definition Of "Weaponized Incompetence"
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#40 I Haven’t Spoken To My Ex-Husband In 2 Years. Looks Like He Should’ve Included "Access To HBO"In The Divorce Proceedings
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#41 Women Explains Why She Doesn't Do Her Husband's Laundry And Gets Called Selfish
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#42 Golden Rule
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#43 My Husband's "Bottle Graveyard". Only 4 Bottles On His Shelf Actually Have Soap In Them
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#44 Apparently, This Is My Punishment For Going For A Run
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#45 My Mom Was Texting This Guy On Bumble
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#46 If Equality Starts At Home, Maybe You Could Actually Help Your Wife With The Chores And The Baby Too
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#47 The Problem With A Lot Of Dudes Who Want A Trad-Wife Is That They Refuse To Be A Traditional Husband
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#48 Weaponized Incompetence
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#49 Husband Put His Pants Right Beside The Laundry Basket Instead Of Just In It
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#50 My Husband Chooses To Leave His Shoes Right In The Middle Of The Entryway Every Single Time, He Does Put Them In Place After I Remind Him A Few Times
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#51 Oh Good, I'm So Glad To See That Men Are Straight Up Boasting About Weaponized Incompetence Now
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#52 The Bathroom Sink After My Husband's Morning Routine
I added the drain catcher a couple weeks ago because the sink is constantly backed up with this hair.
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#53 We've Got A Dishwasher. Do Not Dump Your Breakfast Dishes In The Sink
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#54 Such A Lazy Husband
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#55 I Have Asked My Husband For 3 Days To Take The Damn Pizza Boxes Out
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#56 A Maid. You Want A Maid
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#57 Thinks He’s Entitled To My Time, My Advice, And My Sympathy
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#58 Spent The Entire 3 Hours My Husband And Daughter Were At The In-Laws Cleaning My House, And My Husband Comes Home And Leaves Me These Presents
Sorry for the weird camera angle, but I'm trying to block out the personal photos. Dirty socks on the coffee table and old jerky wrapper sitting literally on the table above the trash can.
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#59 Enjoy Doing All The Emotional Labor For The Rest Of Your Life
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#60 If You Can't Cook And Clean As A Man Why Should A Woman Be With You Though
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#61 As If It Is Not Also His Responsibility
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#62 Husband Said He Didn't Throw This Bottle Away Because "There's Still A Little Bit Left"
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#63 Husband Who Is Struggling To Make Ends Meet Gets Mad At His Wife For"Lowering Herself" Because She Found Coupons In The Trash To Feed Her Kids
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#64 I Asked Him To Help Me Several Times And Yet
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#65 That Look
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#66 I'm Confused As To Why This Pile Of My Husband's Clothes Keeps Appearing As This Pile On Top Of His Wardrobe. Do They Need Washing? Do They Need Putting Away? Who Knows
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#67 Woman’s Boyfriend Expects Her To Pay For His Future, Even Though She Already Pays For Trips/Concerts
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#68 Well, After Weeks Of Nagging The Husband To Help Me Empty The Wendy House Of All The Stuff From The Garage, We Went To Make A Start Tonight
The bad news is that we took the roof off, and about five baby wasps started to fly around. I told the husband that if he really didn't want to tidy the stuff up, he didn't have to put a wasp nest inside it. The rest of the evening will now be spent googling how to get rid of a wasp nest.
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#69 My Middle Child Leaves Her Stool In Front Of The Potty Sometimes And Instead Of Folding It Up, My Husband Just Kicks It Out Of The Way Like We Don't Have The Smallest Bathroom Ever
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#70 Partner Not Doing A Good Job
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