Do you feel like you’re drowning in daily chores and housework and your partner is skirting by with taking out the trash once a week. Is it affecting your relationship? Well, you’re not alone. A 2018 study done by Harvard Business School found that 25% of divorces are due to “disagreements about housework.”
Of course, these scholars also concluded that paying for services like a housekeeper would solve the problem. But not everyone can afford a maid or cleaning service. So what to do? Enter the Housework Contract!
What is a housework contract?
A housework contract (or Chore Agreement Template) is a document that lists each person in the household’s responsibilities. By putting chores in writing and having both parties agree to them and sign on the dotted line, there is no questions about who is in charge of which chore and no blame to be laid for dropping the broom, so to speak. This contract is also great for roommates or children.
How to use the Housework Contract
After you fill out the information in the form below, you will get a Welcome Email with a link to the Housework Contract document that you can save on your computer and print out. Each party can read over the document and fill in the appropriate duties they have agreed on like in the example below.
There is also an area that you can list rewards for each party upon completion of the weeks chores.
How to get your partner to sign on the dotted line
As with all relationships, there’s going to be some negotiations. Using these tips can help with the agreements and disagreements.
Pick a good time and place to go over the contract
Timing is going to be key here to presenting this idea to your partner. You don’t want to broach this subject while everyone is rushing to get ready for work and school in the morning. Pick a time where you can sit down for at least an hour uninterrupted. Maybe send the kids out and make a nice dinner. Or make a date night out of it and go to your favorite restaurant.
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Come from a place of love
You don’t want to open up the conversation with a negative or accusatory tone. Come from a place of love for your partner (or roomate :-). Let them understand that you need help and it would benefit the whole house if you all negotiated chores. Something along the lines of “I found something that can really take some stress off of us at home….”
Negotiate
No one is going to get everything they want, so be willing to negotiate. Here is a helpful article on the negotiation tips for your chores
Download the Housework Contract
Fill out the required fields below to receive your Welcome Email with a link to download the housework Contract. My Welcome email also comes with a stylish printable weekly planner to get you started on the road to a clean home! Just fill it out and stick on the fridge. And be sure to check out my Cleaning Tips that will help you maintain a clean home.
About The Cleaning Lady
I’m a professional house cleaner with 20 years of experience cleaning houses under my belt, and I’ve learned alot about cleaning, organizing and how people react to these tasks. I’ve worked with hoarders, people will mental disorders and the young and old. What I’ve learned is everyone has different levels of “clean” and most people hate to clean. I give you cleaning and organization tips that are easy to use and don’t take all your time. And I am a fan of gadgets that will help you clean. My motto is “Work smarter, not harder!”
