The Husband Strike: Update and Wrap-Up

So, it's well after when I said I'd post the results of my Strike. For whatever reason, my internet and I have been having some pretty severe arguments for over a week now. I'm just hoping this post will actually post! So here we go!

As we finished up the Strike, nothing amazing happened. Clothes were all over the house, dishes laying around, trash piling up... And do I even need to reveal that the lawn has STILL not been dealt with? Awesome update, huh?

So, the results of my experiment are pretty disappointing. He honestly did not even realize anything had changed, other than he found it "annoying" that I allowed the trash to build up instead of "just doing it [my]self"...

To that, I had three words:

Not. My. Job.

Since then? Trash piles had been accumulating all over the house again (shocker, right?), but I assumed it would be dealt with last night or this morning considering our trash is picked up today. Guess who ended up taking all the trash out after getting the kids fed? Yeah, it wasn't him. Now that he considers the Strike "over," he's reverted to just letting his clothes fall where they will without a second thought, and dishes/trash are to be found even more frequently laying around the house.

All in all, for me this experiment was a heart-breaking disappointment. Zero results, zero remorse, zero enlightenment. It actually makes me sad to think our four-year-old would have learned from this better than the Hubs did.

And so, that's that. To any of you out there who plan to try the same idea, I wish you all the luck in the world, and  hope you have better results than I did!

*****

On a brighter (and completely unrelated) note, the first trailer for City of Bones was released yesterday! I've decided that next August is just too far away!

See the trailer here!

'Til later!!!
         ----- D

The Husband Strike: Update #2

Well, I know I promised an update every few days... And I've failed at that miserably! In truth, that cold-stomach bug thing my husband had when I'd intended to start the Strike got passed around our home and our 5-month-old and me were a bit out of commission! :( But I am back, ready to report in.

And there has been good news on the home front! Last Sunday (not yesterday) was Epiphany Day! I guess the hubby noticed me cleaning down the house and for whatever reason felt the urge to help! Amazing, yes? I was shocked. He took out the trash (ALL of it this time!), picked up all of his dirty clothes and placed them IN THE BASKET, and FINALLY got the hint about his dishes not being in the sink! He rinsed them himself, put them in the dishwasher, and started it up! Granted, he put the soap in wrong and the little soap dispenser got stuck and did not wash the dishes, but he TRIED! It was phenomenal! He even sort of swept up the kitchen floor!

Instead of going day by day from this past week I have not updated, I'll just give you an overview.

After Epiphany Day, the Hubbs has been mostly very good about putting his dishes in the sink. It seems that message was received. About time! There are still instances of dishes laying about, but they've all managed to find their way to the sink after a while.

Trash... has remained problematic. I have done SO good about not nagging or asking that it be taken out! Instead, we've had mini-trash mountains building up all around the house. Eventually, he notices them (when it seems to be at disaster-point) and takes them out. As of yesterday evening, I was uncertain of whether our kitchen could possibly hold any more trash in/around the can! It was ridiculous! But alas, I didn't manage to get a picture before it was FINALLY removed. :(

Clothes have been finding the basket! That's not to say that his coats/shoes are put away, but it's a start!

Annnnnnnnnnd the lawn... I've sort of lost count of the weeks now. 4? 5? 6? This weekend he even commented on the fact that the back lawn was so long he could barely see one of our cats out there sleeping! And still, nada! No yard work done, at all. Leaves have turned our front lawn gold, but still... Nothing done to remedy the problems. I'm ready for this Strike to be over just so I can start screaming about the lawn...

Well, that about covers it! So far, it seems a couple things are getting better... The rest, not so much... And sadly, I doubt he's even realized I'm on "Strike"... For him, this probably just seems normal. :(

I'll give one final update on Thursday to wrap this up! Til later!!!

                    ----- D