In our house, we generally split the chores. Jim works from home, so he walks Roli and does the laundry. He is also usually the one to empty the dishwasher. I generally do most of the vacuuming, dusting and cleaning the bathrooms.

I tend to do most of the grocery shopping and he runs other errands. We also have a philosophy of “You cook, I’ll do the dishes.”

This seems to be a pretty fair split for the most part, but it’s not completely balanced. Some tasks take a lot longer than others or are more arduous. When Jim cooks, for example, he tends to use minimal dishes. When I cook, he says it looks like a tornado hit the kitchen and he wonders aloud how I manage to utilize every pan (he exaggerates a bit.) Walking with the dog is typically a more relaxing task than scrubbing the shower, but dog walks are way more frequent.

This has caused some consternation from time to time but with open communication, we have come to good agreement about who is doing what and found a balance that works for us.

How do you decide what’s fair and reasonable in your relationships?