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Talk about degrading family value.

Doing chores is beneficial and a nice way of taking a break.




I don't think you read the whole article or you would have caught this:

> (Oddly, it’s perfectly fine if leisure time includes those inefficient D.I.Y. household tasks that some people find rewarding and fun, like pickling beets or knitting.)

If you find it fun - do it. If not, outsource it as fast as possible.


I see things other than quirky "fun" tasks like pickling beets (?!) as also a valuable part of a regular life. To me it'd be sort of weird to have a life that is made up of nothing but 1) paid work; 2) fun/relaxation/leisure; and 3) sleep. I like to do some productive things for myself, as opposed to saving all my productivity for an employer.

To me, at least, part of the satisfaction of being a regular adult is that I take care of myself to some extent. I can't do everything of course (e.g., I'm no doctor), but I usually cook, clean up after myself, do laundry, sort my recyclables, sew on buttons, the usual stuff. Cooking in particular I like to do, partly because I get better at it, which means I can do things like cook for friends, and partly because I understand food better by doing it.

I tend to hire people for things that are non-routine and where a specialized professional seems like they'd be much better. For example I do have someone come and clean a few times a year, because while I can generally keep things reasonably clean, a professional cleaner does it to another level. And of course I eat out sometimes, and have professionals do home repairs (that's one area people traditionally knew more about that I know virtually nothing about... I can barely use a hammer).


So if it's not fun, don't do it. Does that sound like a healthy philosophy to pass down?


How bout:

If you want to or have to do it - do it. If you don't want to do it & absolutely don't have to do it - then outsource it.


Depends on what you like doing. Some people find cutting the grass relaxing. I find it's just a chore that needs to get done on a schedule. So I have someone else do it.


The third option is I find it to be an excellent source of light exercise.

So I could pay someone to mow my lawn so I'd have the spare time to take a short nature hike as exercise ...


It was a chore until I got a lawn big enough to need a ride-on :-) Now I just go up and down listening to podcasts (whilst convincing my wife I'm doing important gardening)




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