It's a Two Steps Process

It's A Two Steps Process

Earlier, in the co-ed schools, the boys and the girls used to learn different skills -- While the girls went in for stitching class, the boys were taken to a different class-room to learn handicraft.

So, right from the childhood there was a clear demarcation between the tasks for girls and boys. And what's more, they were officially taught that way.

Over the years, gradually the things have changed. Now the boys, too, have to take lessons in stitching a button to their shirt. These are small, yet essential steps. Teaching them to take care of these small chores can, at the very least, make them self-sufficient and independent.

In our society, during the growing-up years, a girl always has to listen to things like, 'Stop fooling around with that phone or TV. Come in here and help in cooking / cleaning / washing. What would you do when you get married and go to in-laws' place? Khaandan ki naak katwa ke rahegi!' (You'll surely bring shame to our family.)

But then, what about the boys? Don't they eat? Don't they wear clothes? It is especially more relevant in today's age, when most of the children (boys as well as girls) stay away from their homes, either for higher studies or later, for jobs etc.

However, in some places, still the same old-school thoughts persist, 'What! Why are you teaching him to cook? Or to wash his clothes? He is a boy and boys don't do these things. He would have his family or wife to take care of these things.'

And what about the times when these boys are studying abroad or working in a different city? Should they eat only the outside, unhealthy food and send all their clothes for laundry services? Just because cooking, washing and all sundry household things are suppose to be only a girl's prerogative?

But today, aren't the girls doing each and every thing that till now only the boys were suppose to do? Aren't they earning and contributing towards every single amenity and luxury that they, as a family, enjoy together? Aren't they working under high pressure to meet the pressing deadlines? Aren't they commuting through the rush-hour tiresome traffic to and from the office? Aren't they sitting up late at night to prepare the presentation for the next day meeting?

And after facing all the professional hardships, just as the boys/men do -- no escape or respite from the chores waiting at home.

So, making boys learn the domestic skills right from their school days, is just the first step. The second step is most important, without which the skills taught in the first step would only make the young men self-sufficient, but not a responsible family man.

So okay, he knows how to cook or do the laundry. But what if he returns home, just to relax in front of TV, with a cup of tea and hot snacks -- prepared by his working wife?

It needs to be ingrained in the young minds that wives are not there just to slog inside as well as outside the home. We often see this unequal, unjust division (of rights and duties) around us --- all the rights, are the right of the 'man of the house' and all the duties, are the duty of the woman. If a house is a home for both man and wife, shouldn't the chores also belong to both of them, instead of only the wife?

But this is not some sort of a skill which you can force a boy to learn. This can be done only by paving the path, showing by action, without preaching a word.

Remember, not only your son, but your daughter, too, is going to be a gen-next young woman and could be the one facing such inequality. So if all the men of this generation #ShareTheLoad  and set an example before their children, they wouldn't be doing any favour to their wives, but it would be only for the sake of their daughters, a gen-next wife. A father's duty towards his daughter.

Young mind is like a sponge, it absorbs everything around it. So the best way to accomplish the second step of instilling the right values, is --> doing it yourself. It is not sufficient to just sit back and wish that the next generation would have better gender equality.

As Gandhiji said, 

"Be the change that you wish to see in the world"

And, for today's men it is not all that difficult to help around the house and   #ShareTheLoad . Take for example, doing laundry. Ariel, from the stable of trusted brand-masters    P&G, is just the solution. Ariel removes even the stubborn stains in just one wash. Not only it is a globally recommended number one brand, but it is your washing machine's best friend. With Ariel, you as well as your clothes have no-strain.

“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.”
 What about you?

So, aren't we all going to take this step and help the children of gen-next, especially our daughters?