Se habla Español | Wir sprechen Deutsch | Mówimy po polsku
Spanish Translation German Translation Polish Translation
Contact us for your initial consultation
847.577.8700
posted on 12/18/21

A real estate agent and his wife have saved for the last few years in an attempt to build a custom home in Kildeer, Illinois. They recently adopted three children after having difficulty conceiving. After building their custom home, they finally moved from Chicago to Kildeer, looking forward to providing their children with fun days enjoying the lake and forest.

Unfortunately, their dream life started to crumble when the wife realized that her husband had no intentions of helping with the children once they moved. Instead, he spent significant time commuting to and from Chicago, meeting up with friends after work, and leaving her to work from home while raising their children, essentially by herself.

She had planned on her husband being an equal parent in their marriage, but he essentially left her alone in household and parenting tasks. She has discussed the issue with him repeatedly, and he either belittles her or ignores the situation. Now she is considering divorce due to his failure to help in the household.

The Emotional Labor of Raising Children and Household Chores

Failure to help in the household is a common reason for divorce. In most divorces, multiple issues compound, leaving one or both spouses to seek a divorce. Parents of young children often have disputes over parenting and the division of labor. In addition to the physical labor of carrying, feeding, clothing, and transporting children, emotional labor also comes with household chores and raising children. In far too many cases, one parent will end up being the default caregiver and household manager, even if the couple decided to spend equal time parenting the children.

One parent may end up supervising all of the children’s school activities, organizing household items, managing the children’s medical care, and planning all of the holidays by themselves. In addition to these practical tasks, one parent may feel like they are the emotional caretaker of the children, helping the children emotionally and mentally do their best. Mothers spend almost an hour more than fathers on housework, on average, leading to resentment for women who would like to share parenting and household responsibilities equally.

The pandemic has placed even more pressure on marriages. A recent study found that working mothers can only do one hour of uninterrupted paid work for every three hours done by men during the lockdown. This study confirmed that during lockdowns due to the pandemic, men have been doing more than an hour less of unpaid household labor than women, despite increasing their responsibilities. In many ways, the shutdowns related to the coronavirus pandemic have shone a light on issues that couples have been having for a while, leading many couples to pursue divorce.

Contact a Chicagoland Divorce Attorney

If you need representation for a divorce or child support matter in Cook County, Glasgow & Olsson is here to help. When you need an attorney, experience matters. Contact us today to learn how our experience can get you the results you deserve.