Ariel’s new advert is a satire on the prejudice of household inequality to share the load and how it is being passed down to the next generation but this is something I do not agree with! The way the world has been changing, so does the inequality in the household load. Over the years, there has been a swift and positive transition of household responsibilities into household equality. Traditional gender roles have taken a set-back and it is the equilibrium of responsibilities that couples focus on more.
Like the father in this advert blames himself for passing on this prejudice to the next generation, it is very easy to take the things that way but this generation gap has not only been the gap of decades but also an evolution of different emotional feelings in a couple. Hasn’t the scenario changed from their generation to ours? Haven’t we progressed in our thinking? Haven’t our priorities and lifestyles changed? Today, a couple considers sharing as the best way to show care and build stronger sentiments towards each other. My husband always saw her mother doing the household chores but still he believes in sharing the load and does too. However, his way to share the load is totally different!
The present generation has their life moving at such a fast pace that the little time they get to spend with each other, they want to utilise it to their best and with this comes the sharing of load automatically! My husband makes our daughters bath, help them get ready for the school and at times comb their here too and let me tell you, he does so only to enjoy some bonding moments with our daughters and not with the intention to share my load but ultimately that’s what the result is! Doing this, he never feels that he is sharing my load because he never labelled my daughters’ work as only “my responsibility.”
Also, unlike our parents, we, the parents of new generation are very particular of the example we are setting for our kids. Thus, we take every care to give them an environment that is friendly, cheerful and full of love. This obviously cannot happen with a frustrating female offloaded with work. Today, men have come forward to share the household load acknowledging the fact that women are sharing their loads too. Although I have a fully automatic washing machine, my husband never says that laundry is his or mine job but that he always advocates appointing a maid for it because he understands that I have a lot of load on me. For me, he understanding the fact that I am loaded with work is itself sharing the load. With mental peace comes physical activeness.
In today’s scenario, with both of the partners working and the presence of nuclear families, many of us have become so dependent that if our cook doesn’t turn up, we opt for any of the take away, dine out or home delivery options. Aren’t our husbands sharing our load by happily accepting this and keeping our comfort at priority, otherwise we would have to get into the kitchen and prepare a meal even after being exhausted?
For me sharing the load has an altogether different meaning. It’s not the work that a husband does that counts more but his attitude towards that work that matters to a wife more. Instead of who is doing, who should do or why should I do, partners should practice questions like, what should be done, how it will be done and then following equality will itself bring in the reward. I am blessed to have someone who truly #sharetheload with me and would suggest all those who don’t, to start doing it now! After all, It’s never too late to make things right!!!
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.”
