Dutch households
Have there been many changes in the Dutch households in the past 50 years?
Indeed: in the past 50 years, we definitely have been spending far less time on household chores. At least, we do less cleaning, washing and cooking. The time we spend on our children, however, has only increased over the years. The reason we spend less time on household chores is that women started taking up paid jobs. It is also due to the introduction into our households of dishwashers and microwaves. It is, of course, interesting to wonder if our modern houses are also less clean nowadays. The balancing of household tasks between men and women has become more equal. This is not because men started to do so much more at home. No, it is rather because women do so much less.