So much for equality! Couples are more likely to divorce if the husband does half the domestic chores

Study finds couples who split housework 50/50 are 50 per cent more likely to break up

• Experts say 'modern' couples who share housework have less respect for marriage

By FIONA MACRAE SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT

Attention married men, here’s the perfect excuse to put your feet up – sharing housework can lead to divorce.

Research has suggested that the more chores a man does, the more likely the couple will split.

The survey of couples found that while most were happy to share childcare, the women still did the lion’s share of the housework most of the time.

Domestic bliss? Research suggests divorce rates are higher among couple where men share housework

And in 11 per cent of cases, the women did almost all of it.

When the man finally did do his bit, things seemed to go wrong.

The divorce rate among those who shared chores equally was about 50 per cent higher than among those where the woman did most of it, the study by the Norwegian government found.

 

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Co-author Thomas Hansen, said: ‘One would think that break-ups would occur more often in families with less equality at home but our statistics show the opposite.

Equality: Research suggests the more a man helps out at home the more likely the couple will split

‘You can easily get into squabbles if both have the same roles and one has the feeling that the other is not pulling their weight.’

However, the reason for survey’s results could lie in modern attitudes towards marriage.

Sociologist Dr Frank Furedi said chore-sharing tends to take place among professional couples, where divorce rates are high.

Their more formal, ‘contractual’-style attitude towards marriage can make for a fraught relationship, he added.

Tradition: Experts suggested that 'modern' couples who share housework have less respect for marriage

But Relate counsellor Paula Hall said the results contradict other research. She added: ‘It is important couples feel they are making an equal contribution.

‘That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to share the ironing, doing one sleeve of the shirt each – that’s just daft. Instead, it is about playing to your strengths.

‘In my experience, arguments about housework are not about labour. They are about care and respect.’

Source: Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2209807/So-equality-Couples-likely-divorce-husband-does-half-domestic-chores.html#ixzz2Ggi17KeU