KITCHEN DYNAMICS

It has been a stereotype especially in Africa cultures that men don’t have a place in the kitchen. They are the ones to provide the basic needs and more for the family while the woman will be at home doing all the chores and management in the home. I’m not sure when and who started bringing this idea but I know the person might have had good reason for it as at the time. It was more like a division of labor structure, you do this and I do that so we can make the work easier for ourselves, yeah? But these days, a lot of things have changed and the truth is, there is need to change some of these ways of life we have adopted for a long time especially when we see and know that some of them are just not making things better.

In our world today, we have seen so many men take up cleaning and even cooking as a profession but just because you want to be a typical African man, you will say your wife is the one to cook and both of you will end up eating something that would have been way better if you as the man had prepared it or at least you’ve taken some time out to teach your wife. I know a lot of guys that grew up in homes where they don’t allow them do anything in the kitchen but the moment they gained admission into the university, they had no choice but to do all the kitchen duties including cooking. What does this tells us? It is pointing us to the fact that, even if we are not use to doing something, that shouldn’t give us the right to think it’s not in our place to do it.

Eating and dumping on your plate on the sink for another person to clean it up for you is a sign of disrespect except you also help out there sometimes. Even if she is your wife or your mother or your sister, it doesn’t give you the right to think that you are entitled to the treatment they give to you. Most times they will never even want you to do these chores but on your own, you should know you should help out especially when you see how stressed and tired they are at some point.

Let’s take it like this, as a human being you see another human being in distress, naturally you will want to help especially if you can but because you already have it somewhere in your mind that that’s a woman’s responsibility, you will not see the need to help. As a man, you should take good care of the women in your life, be it your mother or your wife and even your sister. Even if they don’t ask for your help in the kitchen, just go ahead and help them every now and then. I know some women might want to over use this opportunity but that shouldn’t make you deprive yourself from helping a person in need.

I know you know that house chores can be tiring sometimes and anyone will need a help not to mention your mother, sister or wife. The whole idea is, you don’t have to be the one washing the dishes all the time of cooking or doing this and that. This is more like an encouragement to be attentive and help out when your help is needed. It will make that woman really blessed to have you and you will be happy with yourself too, trust me. As long as you are in a place to help out, don’t say because that’s not what you are use to then you will turn a blind eye.

I’m totally in for a man supporting a woman in the kitchen. There are a lot of things you could help a woman do in the kitchen but you will never know because most times she won’t even ask for help because they also have the same stereotype as you and you should help them correct that too. Well, if you are a man, you can still choose to hold on to your belief but I’ll encourage you to help out if you can and see how happier you will make your family and even yourself. And also have it in mind that what you do now is the same thing your descendants might adopt.

This is my response to one of the Hiveghana topics on ”MEN IN THE KITCHEN”.

Thanks for reading through. ❤️