Dividing Domestic Duties Before & After Baby's Big Arrival

Decades ago, when a new baby was born, there were very few questions about who would do what over the course of day to day living. Dads were responsible for working and earning the money while moms were responsible for staying home, keeping up with the house and taking care of the children. Today, things aren't quite as black and white. Now, in many households, both mom AND dad are out in the workforce and they are relying on childcare centers, nannies and other caregiver arrangements to ensure the health and happiness of their bundles of joy.

Because the lines of responsibility are so much more blurred now than they ever were before, about the worst thing that you and your partner can do is run around making assumptions. Deciding who will do what should be a team effort and it should be clearly and carefully discussed well before the new baby arrives to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Not only will this help keep the logistics of parenting smoother to follow, it can prevent arguments and make the chore of day to day planning simpler and easier to manage.

Set up Your System

When you're attempting to distribute responsibilities and establish a "chore chart" for the both of you, everyone has their own system that will work best. For some, it involves mentally going throughout the house, from one room to another, and deciding what needs to be handled.

Don't Just Think About the Everyday

Don't make the mistake of simply dividing up those everyday tasks. There are other chores, like spring cleaning, changing the sheets, taking the trashcan out to the road and mowing the lawn that aren't done daily but still need to be assigned. When in doubt, dish it out.

Pick Your Favorites, Draw Lots for the Rest

There's no rule that says you have to hate your chores. Each of you takes turns choosing your favorite chores until all that are left are the "undesirables." Then, write them down on pieces of paper and pick them out of a hat until all chores have been assigned to someone.

Consider Hiring a Pro

If money isn't an issue, the good news is that you can lighten both of your loads by enlisting the professional assistance of a cleaning crew, a nanny or someone else who specializes in minimizing your messes. Even better, as a professional, these individuals can usually accomplish ordinary tasks must faster and wind up being more productive with their time on the clock.

The most important thing here is to come together now so that you can stick together later, when everything gets hectic and crazy. After all, deciding who will do what when a newborn is screaming to be fed is not as easy as it sounds. With a little care and planning today, you can have a much happier, healthier future together tomorrow.