When newlyweds believe in sharing household chores, follow-through is everything

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-05/uoic-wnb050614.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 6-May-2014

Contact: Phyllis Picklesimer
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
When newlyweds believe in sharing household chores, follow-through is everything

URBANA, Ill. – Of all the starry-eyed just-married couples you know, which couples are likely to stay the happiest? A University of Illinois study says chances for bliss are highest when husband and wife both believe in divvying up the household labor equally. But that happiness won't last long if one partner is perceived as not carrying their fair share of the load.

"Newlyweds need to thoughtfully plan how they can make their expectations about sharing chores work out in real life, especially if the new spouses strongly value gender equality in household labor. This issue will only matter more after children start arriving," said Brian G. Ogolsky, a U of I professor of human development and family studies.

The way that couples negotiate the division of household chores in the first two years of marriage is important because, once patterns are established, they persist over time and can lead to increased conflict and decreased happiness in the marriage for years to come, he said.

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