Probably everyone on the side of relationship or parenting TikToks knows what “the mental load” is by now. It’s all the day-to-day planning and decision-making that helps make a family’s life run smoothly. And because we still live in a patriarchy (unfortunately), this thinking and planning is usually done by women.
But there’s always bound to be exceptions to the rule. To show how men can take some of that load off their partners’ shoulders, one dad took to TikTok. Michael Vaughn, aka World Shaker, shared the small steps he takes to help his wife with the mental load while he’s away.
Typically, women take on more of the mental load in the household. But one dad went on TikTok to share small ways in which men can help their partners
Image credits: ArseniiPalivoda (not the actual image)
“Reducing the mental load for your partner is not just about when you’re in the house, it’s also about when you’re out of it”
Image credits: world.shaker
“I have to leave for a conference for six days. And that means my partner gets 100% of the child responsibilities and the household responsibilities. She says she doesn’t mind, but I know it’s a lot, so here are some simple things I’m doing now to help her later when I won’t be here. Earlier, I vacuumed the house so she could start with clean floors, washed and folded all the laundry so that she could start with no clothes. (That did not come out the way I intended.)”
Image credits: world.shaker
Image credits: world.shaker
“After I put our oldest to bed, I’m going to do the dishes so she can have clean dishes. Since I usually pack our toddler’s lunch, I pre-pack parts of it so it’s just grab and go in the morning.”
Image credits: world.shaker
“And since she’s going to have to wrangle both kids in the morning, I put together 5 outfits for our toddler. By the way, for the partners watching this who don’t usually put together outfits for their kids, it’s not that simple. It’s not just about what matches or looks nice together. I looked at the weather report to base these outfits. Like, Wednesday is a light shirt and pants because it’s going to be warm and it’s not going to rain, so they’ll be out on the playground. Friday, it’ll be cold, so a heavier pant, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a sweatshirt.”
Image credits: world.shaker
“And I booked a hotel room for her so she can have some time to herself after I get back. I’m not trying to grandstand. These are small things with big impact.”
Image credits: world.shaker
Image credits: world.shaker
The creator prompted a discussion that men can and should contribute more when it comes to household planning and worrying
Image credits: MART PRODUCTION (not the actual image)
The man’s video went viral – it currently has over 3 million views on TikTok
@world.shaker Reducing #mentalload outside the house #fairplay #relationship #relationships #marriage #parents #parenting #kids ♬ original sound – World Shaker
People in the comments – mostly ladies – were happy to see a dad taking some initiative
The post Dad Shares Things He Does To Take Some Mental Load Off Of His Wife first appeared on Bored Panda.
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