Dishware Duty
I was consistently the one in charge of kitchen duty for eight years. From the age of eight till about when I was sixteen/seventeen years of age, it was my sole duty to wash the dishes. And it was a trying job. More than trying to say the least. And for those who may think there’s nothing to it, I’ll start by saying that we’re a family of seven. Dad, Mom and the five of us. Plus a few years when we had as many as three cousins living with us bringing it to ten people at home.
It should have been easy. There was nothing to it. Just wash the dish you use when you’re done eating. Except, of course, my Mom and Dad. I could do their dishes for them, no worries. But what about the rest? I didn’t reckon it was a difficult job since you had just your dish to wash but for those years and till now, the policy hasn’t been successfully implemented.
Without the dishes for large gatherings.
Like I said, we’re a large family so it was necessary to have a lot of dishware. At least that’s what I thought then. Gifts of dishware from when my parents got married plus the ones gathered from several ceremonies over the years that came in as either gifts or souvenirs, were all there. And so, I did something during my “regime” of being in charge of the dishes. I counted the exact number of people at home. Flat dishes and bowl dishes together and placed them on the dish rack, carrying the extraneous dishes to the pantry. This meant that everyone had their dishes and so once you used yours, you had no alternative than washing it if you wanted to eat the next meal.
I realized that the reason dishes were piling to the high heavens for me every day was because of the abundance of dishware in the rack. So inhabitants of the house would just keep using more and more. But this was a sure plan so that everyone would be responsible for their dish. It worked. For a while. I can’t remember when it changed. Oh, I do! We had Christmas visitors and we had to bring out more dishes from the pantry. But when the visitors left, Mom felt that the kitchen had more life with some more plates added to the rack. Everyone concurred and that was the end of that.
For, a large African family that has tendencies to host large gatherings or maybe just expect an influx of visitors from time to time, having a large amount of dishware is necessary. If not kept in the dish rack which would look rather tacky when it’s in abundance, it could just be kept in the pantry or somewhere safe. But frankly, if you’re living alone or you don’t have the space for it, I don’t see the need to keep so much.
Personally, in my own space, I would love to have just the necessities. It reduces the cluster of dishes in your space and imbues you with a sense of responsibility. I know that I have a few plates and bowls and cutlery for myself and maybe if a friend or two comes over. Makes me more accountable for my stuff.
It’s been some years since I relinquished dishwashing duty to my younger sister and I wasn’t surprised to see that things are still run the same way. Came back home to meet even more dishes added to the rack and more on the sides. Hearing my little sister complain that she doesn’t know what’s so hard in washing your dishes amused me to no end. In my country, we’d say, “This life na turn by turn,” which simply means that everyone will go through the same stuff eventually. I hope she can devise her own means to tackle it till she hands it over to the next person.
It’s not just about my minimalist tendencies when I say it’s just convenient for everyone, to have fewer dishes. But maybe once my family gets to see my place and how it’s run, they’d implement it. Or maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part. Lol.
Jhymi🖤
Images are mine.
😂 😂, the struggle to wash dishes in the Nigerian household. I must confess I used to be one of the usual defaulters in my home. Most times I'd be watching film or playing game while eating and I'd just drop it and decide I'd come back later, till the next food again I may forget and carry another one. Though at the end of the day I'd still wash it most times.
In our house there was no designated person so at times it could get messy and boil down to who's in the kitchen at the wrong moment.
!pimp
!LUV
You must be killin' it out here!
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Lol. I really doubt that you did though, but okay.
I literally cackled here, because why?
Imagine trying to quickly sneak into the kitchen and your mom goes. "Ehen, B0s oya start washing. Fast."😂
😂 😂 This is the perfect description of the scenario. Happened to me so many times.
Then when you see they caught someone else, you'll na go and smile at them later 😂
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@jhymi, @b0s just sent you LUV. (1/1)
You definitely found a way round it in your "regime" and I believe your younger sister would survive hers. African homes and dishes are like 5&6
Lol. You just can't escape it.
This dish washing duty Is quite tiring as well but thank goodness we are now in the big league and don't do such chores anyone.
I may still do once in a while sha. But at least it's no longer mandatory.
Alright dear
I can relate to your write up, mine was cloth. I washed clothes like tomorrow is gone🤣
Ahhhh....I don't like that one at all. I'd prefer to have a massive heap of plates to wash instead.😄
😂🤣🤣🤣🤣
Reading this reminds me of the guilt and fear I used to feel adding my plate to the dish pile when my sister was doing them. Lol
Btw, that plan to get everyone to wash their dishes was a wicked genius. Your little sister needs to tap into that .
I know you were a chronic villain when it came to this stuff. But I guess your sisters were okay with your unruliness. Lol
The kitchen is a place that is organized very well by the women(mostly) and I am really impressed with how they organized everything according to the use and need of those things. I think it's a superpower of women. I also go to the kitchen sometimes and I can do kitchen work luckily and can keep everything organized way but I feel I am not as good as my mother or my sister.
!PIZZA
Well it's always commendable in my opinion when a man is not just capable but actually does work around the home and the kitchen. Big ups to you for that.
Haha... turn by turn. Large dishwashing gets me scared, lol. My heartbeats changes and I just feel sweat pickle my skin. So, I understand. Thanks for sharing this.
Hello dearest fashionable dreemer. Happy Friday or more like TGIF! How lovely the weekend found us here again, alive and thriving. It is a beauty worth seeing, so please be happy. Be very happy, and do not let the biggest annoying thing ruin your day. I waltzed in from #dreemport, for I am an amazing #dreemer. An awesomely made #dreemerforlife.
Ahhhh.... that's serious. Lol.
Well everyone has that particular chore that they utterly detest or just don't like doing. I guess washing plates is yours. Hope you're well, Balikis.🌺
I loved that method of yours because it will help reduce the quantity dishes to be washed.
If only my cousins had done this, I wouldn't have suffered all those years with washing.
I hope your sister get to find her own way of reducing the workload.
Thank you for sharing.
#dreemerforlife
Well, it would be good if they adopted my method but yeah, I subscribe to washing plates the second you're done. Totally helps.
I think the attitude for me with your sis, my sister and your are almost alike, but God will see them through, I'm leaving home soon so I just hope she survives the dish-brain-damage from #dreemport
Lol. God will definitely see them through. Younger siblings struggle to get acclimatised to things like these so I'm rooting for your sister as well.
I didn't have this struggle probably because growing up my mum noticed I hated anything that had to do with washing, so she instead gave me other chores when she could.
I prefer arranging five rooms to washing of any kind.
Well that's alright. Do you prefer cooking as well?
Till now it is a fight in my house 😅. Sometimes I threaten to serve my kids food in an unwashed plates. When I was growing up, there were two chores I enjoyed so much. Washing of plates and washing of clothes. 😅. I find it very easy to do the dishes. Washing one's plates never worked in my house. It was shared and the sibling whose turn it is to clean up is made to do it, even if with scolding or strokes of the cane. 😅😅
Ah, it's true that you're a very capable Mom so you would definitely know how these things work. I actually came to find washing of plates therapeutic. I'm not sure about clothes though.😅🌺
It's more advisable to have lesser dishes in the rack but like you explained, it's hard for a typical African home because there are always going to be visitors every now and then.
It's a good thing your tenure is over, I hope your sister figures something out to make life easier.
Yeah, visitors just have to be there and running around to gather plates isn't exactly convenient as well. Thank you for making it here, Hope. I trust that you're doing well.🤗
Yeah, that's true. I feel sometimes we just have to get use to the work especially when it comes to a family house
It is the pots and pans that get me. Plates and crockery nae bother, so I shall let you the pans for me wee t ....fr!
Well I would definitely love to leave the pots and pans to your able hands to manage fr. Lol
So it's all good.
haha I said you could do the pots and pans! But oh know, you put back one me! What am I going to do with you wee t!
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