Ah, Prudie. You never fail to amaze me.
In her latest advice column, a woman writes in about having to constantly clean up after her boyfriend and being "burned out being the only one to clean the house." Prudie's advice? Suck it up!
Dear Sick,
Given the fact that you're in a two-year relationship with a swell guy, Prudie would advise you to pick your battles. Because the beloved is an inveterate slob and you've had no luck getting him to pitch in around the house, there are really only two options open to you. One is to sit him down … not like a 3-year-old, but like a partner to whom you're making a plea for help. Tell him you feel like the maid and that's not the way you want to feel. Lessons are not required to remember to take your clothes off in one place, use hot water instead of cold, or learn that the top of the fridge is not the proper place for whatever he's putting up there—merely a serious request. The other alternative is what Prudie's mother taught her: It is sometimes easier to pick up the guy's socks than to make continual "requests." Given that he is slothful and chaotic around the house (and may also have retro ideas about men and women), it might be easier on you to bear in mind what a great guy you have while you pick up his socks. Don't ask Prudie how she knows this.
—Prudie, efficiently
See ladies, all you have to do is think happy thoughts while you pick up after your man. It's so much "easier" that way. I love that not only does she find it acceptable for this woman to continue to play maid, but she also seems to have no problem with the guy possibly having "retro ideas about men and women." (By the way, the word 'retro' makes being an asshole seem way too trendy.)
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There's always the best option: dump the slob. Either the guy wakes up and changes, or she moves on. Why is this not common sense?
Another good one is to throw away anything he leaves on the floor. "Oh, you needed that. Maybe you should pay more attention where you leave things honey."
I prefer yelling and screaming, since there's no mistaking your meaning.
I agree. Lucky for me, I'm as sloppy, or sloppier, than my boyfriend. So I ain't picking shit up.
Unfortunately, if we were ever to live together it wouldn't be long before we were one of those stories where a couple is found dead in an apt knee-deep in garbage and cat feces.
My boyfriend and I are both slobs, but after we moved in together, we got somewhat neater. Not sure how that works, though it might have something to do with owning our house now instead of renting it.
I'm just amazed you're all missing the obvious here; get rid of boys. No boys, no slobby boys.
Welcome to the wonderful world of lesbiaism ... sure, you might get a slobby girlfriend, but hey, still seeing no slobby boys here! ;)
damn, that'll teach me to type while glued to Mariska Hargitay on SVU ... that should be the wonderful world of _lesbianism_ (which, of course, it is *grin*)
I read Dear Prudence regularly, but have been offended before by her old-fashioned, anti-feminist responses. Did you see the one a couple months ago when she told a guy that his wife was being unreasonable in wanting to discuss giving their child her own last name rather than his? Fortunately, she got a lot of mail from readers and rescinded the following week.