Thursday Thirteen – 13 Things I've Learned to Let My Husband Do His Way

You know how much it can drive you nuts to let someone else do various jobs around the house. I decided to share today the things I’ve slowly learned I may as well just let my husband do his way.

After all, he’s helping!

1. Loading the dishwasher. No! Not that way! Arrgh!
   I’ve learned to mostly stay out of it. Only thing I correct now is when he forgets to keep the things on the bottom shelf low enough that the arm for the upper section can still spin. If it’s not spinning after all, the upper dishes don’t get clean. But even when he drives me nuts loading things differently than I would do, I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut and let him do it.
2. Sorting the laundry.
   He sorts into white clothes versus everything else, with the kids’ clothes in a pile separate from ours. I sort whites versus colors versus things that take longer to dry in the dryer. And the kids’ clothes are mixed in with everything else.
3. Folding the laundry.
   Drives me nuts. He likes to lay his shirts and such out before putting them on hangers. Still seems like twice the work to me, but so long as he finishes the job that’s his problem.
4. Driving.
   Aside from the occasional reflexive foot on the “brake”, this one isn’t too hard. Even when he takes what I know to be the long way because he thinks it’s faster.
5. Driving too fast.
   Well, most of the time. Except when I know he’s overdoing it. Or if I notice the police are patrolling particularly heavily.
6. Assembling things.
   Unless I want to do it myself (which I do when I want to surprise him), I let him do things his own way when assembling or building things for the house. Most recent case was our son’s new bed.
7. Cooking.
   Now if he could do the same. He loves to give advice when I’m cooking. At least until he catches the look I give him.
8. Managing the garden.
   I leave that completely up to him these days, aside from when I notice the plants need a bit more water. Great for him to have time with the kids too.
9. Parenting.
   Well, at least in front of the kids, as much as possible. I do still say if I think the punishment doesn’t fit the behavior. But I don’t like to disagree with him in front of the kids.
10. Cleaning.
    I’ve found it generally works if we clean in different rooms. Keeps us from driving each other crazy focusing on different priorities. Job gets done either way.
11. Television shows.
    If it’s not appropriate for the kids, I’ll say something, but otherwise, it’s just not that bad.
12. Yikes.
    This is a tough list to write. Had a few ideas off the top of my head when I started writing this Tuesday afternoon, then put it aside for Thursday. Now it’s Tuesday afternoon and I’m really short of ideas.
13. Taking the trash out.
    Still have to remind of some things, but at least he often does this without reminding. He tried to develop a habit of saving the plastic trash bags so that we’d use fewer, but I complained about the smell. There’s a reason why you don’t just throw trash in the can, after all!

Honestly, some of these are really easy to not nag him about. Others are really tough. But I’ve learned that he is much happier to help if I let him do it his way.

Now I just have to survive watching 4 kids today, ages 5 and under. Two mine, two my sister’s. If I start typing crazy things, you know I went insane.

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