The Mi-chou household: 'I prefer to do fun things'

You never clean up your dirty clothes, he consistently forgets the kids' lunch boxes. The dynamics in the household are further magnified under the current circumstances, but are of course always present in the undercurrent. Every week we ask a reader: how are you doing?

This week

Name: Mi-chou (35)

Partner: Remano (29 )

Children: daughter Robyn (7) and son Sef (5)

Profession Mi-chou: content marketer, 24 hours, independent entrepreneur

Profession Remano: safety officer in shipbuilding, 40 hours per week

Distribution of Remano / Mi-chou income: 60/40

Distribution of household: total 26 hours per week, Mi-Chou 10 hours, Remano 4 pm

NB: We spoke to Mi-chou a while ago, before the corona crisis broke out.

Surinamese household

“Remano does most in the household. He tidies up, vacuums, cleans and maintains the garden. He comes from a Surinamese family and is used to helping with the housework, his mother thought that was important. For me that is not the case: if I had to clean my room, it was already a lot. Remano is more annoyed by things when they are dirty, so he is always the one to clean it up or clean it. He is more concerned with the house anyway. Annoyed by the many things we have, but yes, we have a son and a daughter, so a large amount of toys. Once in a while he gets it on his hips. Then he throws away everything or divides the room completely differently. If I come home, the table is somewhere else, or the couch. I am all fine, I don't care, I get used to everything quickly. I would rather do fun things than go for a dip, I don't really care. I'm not easily annoyed by junk. ”

Balance

“ When I started my own company, I also wanted to work somewhere else. For fun, in the office, with colleagues around me. I like it so much that I put my own company on the back burner. Like many self-employed people, I didn't dare to say no for fear of not getting any more assignments, so I did too much and also took on jobs that I didn't really like to do. The jobs kept pouring in, all via via. I stopped that. I only do things that I really enjoy. Remano would also like to work a day less. Because he has not had this job for very long, we have not yet addressed that, but it is the intention that he will work a day less in the future. Incidentally, that will not really ease my duties, he is setting up sports training. ”

Empty head

“ I do the schedules and administration. I exercise five times a week, am currently training for the marathon. Running is the ideal way for me to organize my thoughts. Then I get everything clear in my head and I list what needs to be done. While running, I don't have to do anything but myself. The perfect time to let thoughts run wild. I often get good inspiration during exercise. For example for web texts that I am currently writing. ”

Kris Jenner

“ Remano sometimes jokingly calls me Kris Jenner, because I not only keep the administration, but also the schedules of casting and modeling agencies. All four of us are registered and I keep track of who has a job for which day. ”

Dishwashers

“ I order most groceries online. I try to make up three meals every week, but I can't get further than that. That is why I often do the shopping for what we eat that night during work breaks. I do the dishes a few times a day because we don't have a dishwasher. Do I miss it? I never had one, so I have no idea. And to rebuild the kitchen just for a dishwasher ... We both cook, although Remano does it more often and he is better at it. He is home early, I am still with the children on the road to sports clubs. When we get home, dinner is ready. We eat early, at half past five, then we have something to do with our evening. ”

Annoyances

“ I never get annoyed with how the tasks are divided. Of course Remano also does a lot. It is rather the other way around: he picks up the vacuum cleaner before I do because he is more annoyed by the mess. Sometimes friends complain to me that their husband does so little in the house. Then I say: "But does he know what bothered you? Because if you don't tell him you want him to do something, he's really not going to do it on his own. "You have to make clear what needs to be done. I think it is important that we do it together, that we keep things running together. ”