Newlyweds who continue to share the household chores equally are more likely to remain happily married, according to a report.
But dividing up the domestic tasks is more crucial to the marital satisfaction of women than men, the study of 220 newly married couples found.
The chances for bliss are highest when husband and wife both believe in sharing chores equally.
Happiness won’t last long if one partner is perceived as not doing their fair share, especially after children start arriving, the University of Illinois researchers said.
Brian Ogolsky, a professor of human development and family studies at the university, said the way couples negotiated the division of household chores in the first two years of marriage was important because, once patterns were established, they persisted over time and could lead to increased conflict and decreased happiness in the marriage for years to come.
“The most satisfied couples have similar expectations and follow through on them,” he said.
The study examined the beliefs, behaviours, and marital quality of 220 newlywed couples and found that dividing household tasks affected the marital satisfaction of wives but not of husbands.
When couples divided household tasks in traditional ways, close matches in belief and behaviour didn't seem to affect marital satisfaction as much, the report said.
Mr Ogolsky said: “These results were interesting because usually marital satisfaction is studied in only one spouse.
“Here we were able to see what happens when there's a discrepancy in spouses' attitudes on this issue.
“If a woman believes that household chores should be divided equally, what happens if they adopt a traditional approach to the matter? The most satisfied couples have similar expectations and follow through on them.
“For husbands, sharing household tasks isn't as directly related to their satisfaction.
Either they don't perceive that there is a discrepancy or they have bought into the idea that the second shift belongs to women.”
The important thing is to enter a marriage with a clear understanding of where your partner stands on these issues, he noted.
“Such an understanding helps couples avoid becoming disillusioned as the marriage goes on,” he said. - Daily Mail