Who remembers to buy the toilet paper in your home?
Who remembers to put Ziploc bags on the shopping list?
Or cough syrup, laundry detergent, milk, peanut butter, school supplies, Goldfish crackers, or eggs?
In this article from Real Simple, “The Invisible Workload That Drags Women Down”, it talks about how women do the bulk of the emotional labor in the home, such as being the organizer, the worrier, the rememberer, and the attention giver.
It references a poem from one mother’s blog, in which she writes, “I am the person who notices we are running out of toilet paper.”
I am the person who notices we are running low on coffee pods…
I am the person who notices we are running low on toothpaste/dental floss/mouthwash/anti-cavity rinse in bubble gum flavor.
I am the person who notices we are running low on granola bars, brownie bites, dried fruit, kale chips, cheese sticks, Pepperidge Farm Goldfish and other lifesaving snacks.
In most households, the person who does that mental labor is the wife and mother. Her spouse may not notice these things, but the woman definitely does.
She is the person who knows not only that coffee is essential, but also that using the wrong toothpaste is the kind of thing that can seriously ruin a child’s morning—not to mention their parents.
These may seem like insignificant details, but when you add them up, they can wear a person down. If you’ve ever felt burned out by your responsibilities at home, then this may be an underlying cause.
Too much of this invisible workload to keep up with can leave a Fitness Warrior feeling too exhausted to focus on her personal, professional, and fitness goals. She needs the support of her spouse.
Running a home is too big a responsibility for just one person, and there are too many details to land on just one person’s shoulder.
Who remembers to buy the toilet paper in your house? Or the Goldfish crackers? Or when to return the library books?
How can you free up some energy by splitting this work with your spouse or even your kids?
