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Hi,

Some men have inquired why I would write a book about getting men to do more housework. I think the best answer is to quote from the first few pages of my book, The Lazy Husband: How to Get Men to Do More Parenting and Housework:

“They say that you should write about what you know, and I know all about being a lazy husband. My laziness once stretched like the British Empire, from the small villages of my children's toys and bottles, to the teeming civilizations of dirty laundry, food to be prepared, kids to be played with, and kitchens to be cleaned. I developed advanced techniques to avoid work and prided myself in their execution. I feigned exhaustion when the grass began to grow so wild that my children could hide in the yard and the fire department couldn't find them. I developed allergies to all household cleaning agents, especially anything that could ever be used on a toilet, run through a washing machine, or poured on a kitchen floor. My laziness was a work of art, a lifestyle happening, an inspiration to all of my (male) friends.
And then, over time, something terrible happened. My wife began to change. Not as in screaming, crying, guilt-tripping, change. But, as in, "Okay, Jack, game is over. I am no longer pulling my weight and yours in this household." I was concerned. So I tested her limits just the way the raptors did in the first Jurassic Park movie by hurling themselves against the side of the cage. She didn't flinch.
I tried acute, hysterical sensory loss such as
Memory failure: "I never agreed to take out the garbage every week!"
Hearing failure: "You never said I should change their diapers more than once a day!" and
Loss of vision: "Actually, I don't see any dust balls."

What’s in it for men to be more involved? Here’s what the research shows on this topic:
*Women with partners who are actively involved in parenting and housework are happier and more satisfied with their marriages.
*Women who do the majority of housework and childcare in a family are more prone to physical illness and more likely to become depressed.
*Children score higher on academic tests in homes where dad is more involved.
*When children are raised in homes where dad isn't involved in housework, boys are often more anxious at three-and-a-half, and girls are less warm and less task-oriented.
*School age children who do housework with their fathers have more friends at school, and are more likely to get along well with others. They're also less likely to disobey teachers.
*Women are far more likely to think about divorce when they're married to men who neglect the house and kid.
*Men who regularly do housework are associated with wives who are more interested in sex.
*Children who do housework with fathers are less likely to be socially withdrawn or suffer from depression.