Week 12 Blog: Sociology of the Family

When I was filling out my chart, I thought about how my chart probably isn't as typical as other families. My parents are divorced and my siblings and I live with my dad, so the duties of the house are divided amongst the four of us. When my parents were still together, although my siblings and I were still young, I was able to tell that my mother did more of the household chores and my dad was the breadwinner and worked. Since I am 21 and my youngest sibling is only 10, we all are able to help my dad out and do work around the house, and, in fact, are expected to help because we are part of the family. Primarily, my dad cooks dinner, does maintenance around the house, pays bills, and takes my brother to sporting activities. Since my sister and I are older, we are more independent and are able to do things on our own, like drive ourselves to work, get up and pack our own lunches, and cleaning our rooms/bathroom and designated parts of the house. It is weird to see my boyfriend and his family and their interactions and duties shared around the house, because they aren't really shared. His mom stays at home and cooks, cleans, and does almost all the household duties. It's hard for me to just put my dish on the kitchen counter and let his mom do all of the dishes from dinner, when I'm used to helping clean up, or at the very least, rinsing my dishes and putting them right into the dishwasher. Since I have been so independent for so long now, it is also weird how adults my age can still be dependent on their parents for so many things. I know girls that work with me that have their lunch packed by their mom, some parents will get up and make their kids breakfast, and others are paying rent, accessories, and clothes for their kids. I guess it depends on how a child was brought up in a family that determines which duties they are used to or what is considered 'normal' for them.