Why should women do all the work?

My school had pretty strict rules when it came to uniforms and stuff. Our nails were checked daily to see whether they are trimmed or not. Our uniforms too were inspected from top to bottom whether the shoes are polished, socks not too small (applicable for girls), shirt and trouser well ironed and no stain was visible. Since I studied in Delhi Public School, my uniform was all white.  It was tough maintaining an all white uniform and that too for a playful boy like me.

I had two sets of uniforms and had to get my uniform washed every other day. Cleaning whites required special care and attention. I mean just dumping them into the machine did not guarantee a spotless uniform.

 It was a Monday. After the morning assembly, our daily ritual of uniform inspection began. My heart was thumping loudly. My parents were very busy that weekend and the usual scrubbing and bleaching of my uniform could not been done. I was praying silently when my class teacher stopped me. My heart beat came to a still. I hated being reprimanded and do that even now (Ask my wife). I tried my level best not to attract the wrath of any teacher because I detested being scolded that too in front of the whole class. And now the inevitable happened.

My class teacher Miss Usha Arora (I can never forget her name) demanded an answer from me as to  why my collar was not sparkly white. She was so difficult that she used to inspect the inner side of the collar too. Untrained to make excuses, I replied that my father was very busy. So he put the clothes straightaway in the washing machine without scrubbing the collar.

Usha mam was in shock. She yelled, what was your mother doing? Why did not she wash my uniform? Now it was my turn to be shocked. Why can't my father wash them? I mean I had always seen him loading the washing machine every Sunday. There were myriads of other things that my mother had to do. If my father used to share the load, then what was the harm? That incident ended on a rather strange note. Usha mam forbade me to use excuses like 'father washing my uniform' and never repeat that mistake again. Since it was my very first time without spotless clothes, I did not get any punishment.

Over the years as I learnt that people associate washing clothes with females. I however beg to differ. The scene at my home had been pretty different. My father always helped my mother in the household. Whether chopping vegetables or bringing groceries, washing clothes or ironing them, he has always shared my mother's work load. My mother had never been idle; she was a working lady so managing household with her work and kids was quite challenging. My father taught me that men and women are equal and no work is big or small or feminine or masculine.

Therefore  I beg to differ that laundry is a woman's job. I help my wife with the household chores and if I ever have a son, I would teach equality to him. Its time we put a stop to all these prejudice and emerge as progressive human beings!
 

“I am joining the Ariel #ShareTheLoad campaign at BlogAdda and blogging about the prejudice related to household chores being passed on to the next generation.”