Cleaning up bird poop has actually made me happier

　I'm working flexibly as a professional while living with my partner. Our lives have changed dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In particular, we've had to rethink our household chores, which I had been doing most of without much discussion until my partner started working from home.

Initially, we didn't talk much about dividing up household chores when we first got married. I guess I just ended up doing most of them by default, perhaps due to my part-time job and some unspoken societal expectations.

However, everything changed when my partner started working from home full-time.

"Why don't you do this or that?"
"I always do it!"

These kinds of words started flying between us. Even small disagreements turned into big fights, and our relationship became strained. We realized we needed to make some changes.

That's when I stumbled upon the "○○ Family Strategy Meeting" sheet from the Cabinet Office. It's a tool designed to help couples have honest conversations about dividing up household chores. Using this sheet, we were able to talk openly about our values and our thoughts on housework.

https://www.gender.go.jp/public/sakusenkaigi/pdf/sakusenkaigi.pdf

This worksheet can help couples talk about who does what around the house.

・Make a list of everything each partner does in a day, from chores to childcare and work.
・Share your daily schedules with each other to get a better understanding of each other's lives.
・Talk about how much housework each of you does and decide how to divide the chores.