5. You are husband and wife. Discuss the way you are going to share your duties.

Wife: Good evening!

Husband: How are you?

W.: Could be worse. Are you in the mood for a conversation?

H.: Certainly. What's the matter?

W.: Who should be the boss in a family - a man or a woman?

H.: Of course it should be a man.

W.: Who should do the cooking?

H.: You are doing it very well.

W.: You ought to be the one earning the most money.

H.: You need to look for ways to save money when buying food and other items for the home. Some women learn to sew and are able to save money by making their own clothes and clothes or their family.

W.: Being independent was great as long as it meant not having reciprocal responsibilities.

H.: I don’t know what you do with the housekeeping money.

W.: But it seems to me I haven’t seen you doing much housework.

H.: Haven’t you? Who helps with the washing up? Who mends anything that gets broken? And when the electric lights go out who changes the bulbs and mends the fuses?

W.: OK. You are very helpful.

H.: Besides, I help to do the shopping.

W.: I want you to bear in mind the bills for gas and electricity.

H.: Surely. I can do anything about the house. I keep all the rooms clean and neat. Tidying up is not a problem for me.

W.: But I find doing the everyday household chores rather a boring business. I hate doing the dishes and vacuuming.

H.: You can be a joy and example to all who know you. But nagging, complaining, a sharp tone of voice is irritating, and makes everyone in the home unhappy.

W.: Let us not quarrel about such unimportant matters. But I am unhappy about the allocation of household chores.

H.: Nearly all women have to put up with the daily routine doing all sorts of domestic work.

W.: In reality, chores around the house should be shared responsibilities.

H.: A woman's first responsibility is to her family, caring for it and making the home a happy place. It is a joy for a woman who loves her family to keep the home pleasant and clean, and to cheerfully do her part in seeing that their needs are taken care of.

W.: I cannot handle all of the responsibilities of the home without considerable help from you.

H.: Why didn't you say anything? Let's agree. I support the household financially, but also in every other way. What do you want?

W.: I don't expect much help from you. It is not necessary to clean the house from top to bottom, but if you take off your shoes and throw them on the floor, you will be picking them up. If you spoil the floor, you will be mopping it up.

H.: I think we should buy labour-saving devices – a dish-washer, a vacuum-cleaner, a food processor or send the washing to the laundry.

W.: But it will cost our family a lot of money.

H.: It's nothing. But then our relationship will improve as we do more for each other.

W.: We will likely spend more time with our friends as well.

H.: I’m always willing to lend a hand.

W.: Very good! It is a rational approach to running the house.

H.: Conflict over domestic duties around the house is second only to conflict over money in a marriage.

W.: But we solved this problem.

H.: I absolutely agree.