2.3. Work in pairs and discuss the following.

• Compare the situation described in the text to that in your country.

• Describe the division of labour in your household now and/or when you were growing up.

• Is the institution of marriage worth saving'? Why or why not?

3.  Work in pairs. You have just moved into rented accommodation together and are discussing the housework rota for the next three months. You are keen to ensure an equal distribution of labour. Is it easy to come to a decision as a group? Would/Do you find it easy or difficult to share a house or flat? Why?

Household duties

Cleaning: once a week. Bathroom, kitchen, three living rooms.

Washing: Two loads of washing each week (excellent washing machine with tumble dryer in flat)

Ironing: Two hours’s worth of ironing in total each week

Cooking: You want to eat a cooked meal together every weekday evening

Washing up: no dishwasher in flat

Shopping: nearest supermarket over kilometers away

Observations

Student A: 1. You like cooking, even though your dishes don’t always turn out as planned 2. Your shirts/ blouses have to be ironed for work. Someone else has done it for you in the past. 3. You recently broke your left wrist, and it will be in the plaster cast for the next six weeks. You are right handed. 4. Your favourite TV soap is on Wednesday and Friday evenings from 7.30 to 8.30. You haven’t even missed an episode for nearly two years. 5. There is only one television in the flat and you can’t afford another.

Student B: 1. You hate ironing and would rather someone else ironed your clothes for you. 2. You have never cooked so much as a boiled egg in your life. 3. You have a bad back: you cannot carry heavy weights and bending over is painful. 4. You don’t want to do any housework on Wednesday evenings – your favourite music programme on TV from 8.30 to 9.30. 5. There is only one television in the flat and you can’t afford another.

3.1. Discuss with your partner and share key points with the group.

1. Why do some men agree to help with the housework, at least in theory? 2. Do you think "dirty chores" is a suitable heading for the list of domestic work? 3. What sort of emotional blackmail do husbands use as an excuse? 4. Do you think playing ignorant is a good way of avoiding doing jobs you don't want to do? 5. Is it possible to let housework wait un­til you want to do it as the man implies? 6. What is your picture of housework?

BABYSITTING

1. nappy

2. feeding bottle

3. cot

4. high chair

5. bib

6. rattle

7. dummy

8. teddy bear

9. pushchair

10. pram

1. Label the items in the picture with the words in the box. Discuss the questions in your groups.

• What qualities do you think are required to be a good babysitter?

• Are you/ Would you be a good babysitter? Why or why not?

2. Work in pairs. Read the information about attitudes to children in the UK and discuss the questions.

1. How would you describe current attitudes towards children in your country?

2. How child-friendly is your local area?

3. How easy or difficult is it in your country for working parents to spend time with their children?

Britons are often considered to have an intolerant attitude towards children. Fortunately, things have come a long way since Victorian times, when the cruel treatment of children was commonplace, if one is to believe the novels of Charles Dickens. But the proverb 'Children should be seen and not heard' is sometimes used to illustrate the current situation, and many British parents complain that they feel uncomfortable when they go out as a family. Indeed, there are still pubs which are more welcoming to dogs than they are to children.

However, attitudes are thought to be changing and many pubs, restaurants and other public places now cater specifically for families. In 2003 the National Family and Parenting Institute launched a ten-year Family Friendly Campaign, aiming to 'promote a culture of acceptance, tolerance and support for parents, children and young people'. As part of this it is campaigning to make local neighbourhoods more child-friendly, with speed restrictions for traffic and more play areas and youth facilities. It also supports the right of parents to have greater flexibility at work in order to enable them to balance their working lives with the task of bringing up children.