There’s a dirty little secret in many American homes--couples fight
about the housework. It’s No. 1 issue my husband and I argue
(1) ______ about. We argue over who is
doing more, who should be doing which chores, and why my standards are
unrealistic. There is always too much to take care and, with two kids,
neither one of us has the energy (2)
______ to keep top of it all. When the laundry, dirty dishes, and dust pile
(3) ______ out, I feel stressed and
resentful and the fighting begins. Most
(4) ______ couples are trying to split three full-time
jobs--his, her, and managing (5) ______ the
house--between two people. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. The
current arrangement is leading to a nation of tired, angry couples with no
time to relax with each other and their children.
(6) ______ It is estimated that the first child triggers an increase of 21
hours of chores per week, not included childrearing, while each additional
(7) ______ child adds 6
hours of chores. The average American mother, whether she works out of the
home or not, spends 35 hours a week doing housework. When you think about
the time has spent on cleaning,
(8) ______ cooking, grocery shopping, the yardwork, and laundry, it’s
clear that managing a home is no small feat. So many of our parents got
along (9) ______ without
household help, the amount of hands-on parenting time at home has increased
dramatic in the past 20 years. It’s no longer safe
(10) ______ in most areas to let children play in the front yard or
out in the neighborhood unsupervised.