Breaking the Kitchen Stereotypes

As my friend will always say, as you’re praying for a partner, pray for a kind one because money wouldn’t always matter. Gone were the days when we used to live strictly by gender roles set by society. Some of these gender roles included women being deemed to belong in the kitchen and responsible for taking care of the home while men were to go out and hunt or farm to bring back food to the house.

I’d like to believe such roles came about from the point of masculinity and femininity. As God created us, men were made to be stronger than women and were made the head of the family so that they can protect us while women on the other hand had the heart to build a home and nurture kids. This was what set us apart.

But in todays era of women empowerment and what have you, both men and women are out there striving to make it. In most households, the wives also work 9-5 jobs just like the husbands yet they are expected to come back home, cook , clean and do a whole lot alone. Sometimes these women work from 9-5 so they can also support the home. With all these, some of our men still come home to watch football while their wives are up all night making sure the home is okay.

This is where having a kind and thoughtful partner comes in. With how stressful life can be, the least you could ask for is someone who steps in to help you on those days you feel overwhelmed. Having your partner stepping in to do the dishes while you prepare supper does sound fun. You get to spend quality time together, release stress and also bond. But , how many of our men do this?

I grew up seeing my dad help my mom with everything at home. He would wake up and help prepare us for for school. Sometimes when my mom had to go somewhere he would babysit us and even sometimes cook for the whole family. Today, I am older and I’ve finally come to understand how much those little things meant to us as a family. Those were the moments that kept us together. The little mistakes while cooking , the cleaning of the spilled tea or drink and all the petty stuff were more than just qualities of a good husband. They were qualities of a thoughtful and kind father and husband who wanted the best for his family.

With the kind of standards my dad has set for me. There’s no way I or any of my family members will settle for less because not settling down with a thoughtful and kind partner is you settling yourself up for failure and stress at the end of the day. Men can do whatever they wish to do, so far as they are open to do it and same applies to women. No one is above anything. It’s all about priorities.

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all images belong to me.

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