Women Won't Nag When They're Heard

Jan 16, 2018

Though the phrase has seen recent popularity, the idea of emotional labor as a concept is nothing new. Naturally, we adjust our behaviors according to how we feel and what we think about the feelings of others.

For women in many households, this can mean an exhausting process of managing their own feelings while taking care of their family's needs first. Mom knows everything, after all. Any plans or instructions for the day typically start with where she last left off.

The unfortunate side effect of this role in household leadership means moms often get worn out feeling like they repeat themselves every day. If every Tuesday is garbage day, mom might as well have it engraved on her internal to-do list, so she can't understand why nobody else remembers without being told.

This is just the kind of proactive cooperation women are looking for when they're finally fed up and frustrated with the job of being a mom or the lead in domestic duties. Organized routines and predictable schedules can lead to happier, healthier lives -- or just easier ones if everyone participates regularly.

It's a lot of hard work to get everyone on board, though, and a constant tug-of-war might make for a moody mom when she's tired of making daily reminders for common tasks. So we should all work at splitting emotional labor - it won't be easy but we should work on it to change our children's future. Our daughters don't have to carry others and our sons can learn to carry their own weight! 

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