“Rekha, bring a cup of tea for me. I am back from office.”
Yes this is the scenario in many households during the evening. We mostly all
have witnessed such a situation from our childhood. Cooking, washing and
cleaning are mostly considered to be a woman’s job. Sadly, this is regarded to
be perfectly normal in our society. These jobs have become a tradition in our
culture carried from generation to generation.
Our children have seen their mothers cooking and washing clothes.
As a result they grow up as individuals who expect their wives to cook and
clean for them. From the very beginning when a baby is born, we categorise them
as ‘Blue for boy’ and ‘Pink for girl’. But we cannot completely agree with the
notion that cooking and laundry is only a mothers job .Today, the top ranked
chefs in the world are males and there is not a single field where women have
not shown their expertise; be it being a successful pilot like Sarla Thakral
(India’s first woman pilot) or being recognized as India’s first female stand
up comedian, Bharti Singh, they have proven their worth in a male dominated
society.
Since our childhood we have seen detergent advertisements
featuring women. However, the good news is that there are many families who #ShareTheLoad.
For example, in my home, my Dad prefers to wash his own clothes. Our India is
changing and most of the couples are working, so it is high time now that when
both the partners go out for work they should even do the household chores
together. Performing tasks and assisting each other also enhance love and
affection between the partners. In our busy schedule we often complain that we do
not get much time to spend with our mates and loved ones, so it would be a
great idea if husbands, brothers and fathers extend their helping hand to their
female family members in laundry.
Why not find LOVE in LAUNDRY, or in more Indianized terms
– ‘Pyaar ke do pal?’ We have to teach our kids from the very early age that
laundry is not a women’s job. Kids imbibe things faster. What they see they learn.
Let us all make it a point to share the burden of “she” gender especially in
front of our kids so that our generation changes for good, and change will
surely come, gradually. When our kids will see their Dad helping their mother,
they will change their thinking pattern and likewise our generation will
change.
Thanks to Ariel for showcasing an innovative
advertisement and bringing forth a new aspect of laundry.
I am joining the Ariel #ShareTheLoad campaign at BlogAdda and blogging about the prejudice related to household chores being passed on to the next generation.
“Havinga sister
is like having a best friend you can’t get rid of. You know whatever you do,
they will still be there” – Amy Li
You never realise the value of someone until and unless you
are apart from that person and this also holds true in my situation. I have
never been separated from my family. In my life of twenty six years I didn’t
come across a situation in which I had to stay alone. My schooling, college and
then my job all happened in my home town. Though this sounds strange it is true
in my case. But then as people say “Ek din har ladki ko ghar chor kar jana
parta hai,” so the day came when I had to finally bid goodbye to my family and
shifted to Gurgaon with my husband.
And then it all started those precious memories with its
beautiful stories. I miss my sister the most, with whom I grew up and shared the
bits and pieces of my everyday life. Sisterhood means having a friend who will
be there for life. Growing up with a
sister is the best part of my life. Going to school together, mimicking our
teachers, studying,having our dinner, watching TV and those innumerable things of daily life
which I never thought to be so
meaningfulhave suddenly become a cherished
memory of a lifetime. I can never forget those evening walks on our terrace,
strolling together, gossiping and giggling.
I remember sitting on the sofa and enjoying hot cup of
chai and snacks. Taking selfies and pleading her to take my pictures in a
better way and from different angles pissed her sometimes. But when I take a
look at those pictures in my cell phone, I feel elated and think these simple
things of everyday life add fun and little tadka to our memories. Shopping
together and eating out on weekends were so much fun. She is always there to
decide if I should buy a particular dress. Whether it’s painting our toe nails,
and deciding which shade to apply or just lying down on lazy summer afternoons,
she is my perfect companion and partner in crime. I miss my sister when I lookout
for dresses or footwear because she is my stylist .She is someone on whom I can
lean on for my fashion tips. From teenage crushes to awkward secrets we shared almost
everything.
