The Odd Couple?

This isn't specific to OW/YM or AGRs, but lately I've become aware (after living alone for over 2 years) of how it easy is to become very "casual" in the housekeeping dept. Not that I ever assumed household tasks were mine exclusively... in fact, my normal indifference to domestic duties (with the exception of cooking) inverts the stereotype of women as domestic goddesses. I've actually been compared with Oscar Madison of Odd Couple fame. Minus the cigar and whiskey baritone.

At some point it would be nice to share space again with another human being, ideally someone with less tolerance for clutter. So I'm wondering -- how does that actually work? Are any of our couples Oscar and Felix? Does anyone notice that attitudes toward housework vary with age or gender?

I have become very haphazard and it all depends on my mood, it's not a permanent state either way. Sometimes I wonder why I bother when within hours the kids have managed to return the house to it's usual chaotic state. Then I get in a mood and clean frantically for a day and get the entire house done. Of course the weather makes a difference ; rather be in my yard in the sun if I can. I do know though, if I had a live in partner I would keep the place much tidier.

Then again, perhaps I should specify that any future live-in should be the epitome of domesticity or at least willing to learn!

A YM in a French butler's costume.... :p

Now there's a thought. I actually did get an offer once from a YM who wanted nothing but to come and clean for me......dressed as a maid (him, not me!). What was I thinking when I said no???

What was I thinking when I said no???

**gasp** Indeed!

Well, we are a couple who are pretty much exactly equal regarding how we handle the tidiness of our home. In general we lean toward the casual when not expecting visitors, except we both hit our points where we decide to just up and clean a room up really well, or suddenly tackle a pile of papers or books, and we have the same threshold for dishes in the sink and such.

We both like things neat but neither is a neat freak or a nagger, and neither of us is a complete slob. Thank the gods! My ex-husband WAS a slob (an artist, bike racer, antique collector, packrat, and excellent cook...can we say paint, grease, charcoal, dust, and splatter? Arrrrrrrgh!), and we had many a fight where I explained I would NOT clean up his messes all the time. Of course he had a high tolerance for just leaving stuff wherever it was. @%*#%@#!!

Things are SOOOooOoooOO much better now! :)

Oh yeah, so...no age or gender differences here. Completely compatible on this.

Well we're not a couple anymore but we still manage a household together. Between he and the children there isn't a day that goes by that I don't look around me and want to take the kids to the store and throw a lit match back into the house as we leave.

It's the only real way to get this place cleaned up! lol

Seriously, though, I am casual-to-sparkling in my housekeeping habits but I cannot keep up with a slovenly man and three children. He even goes to work in an office environment (where everyone else wears suits) wearing jeans with holes in the knees and ripped shirts, even though he has clean, nice clothing...it makes no sense to me.

*shakes her head*