If you thought the key to marital bliss was splitting domestic chores down the middle, think again.
According to an article in the Globe and Mail, which draws on a Norwegian study, divorce rates are actually higher—as much as 50 per cent higher—among those who share the workload.
The reason? Co-author of the study, Thomas Hansen, claims that women in such relationships tend to have "a high level of education and a well-paid job, which makes them less dependent on their spouse financially." And women who are more independent are less likely to stick around if the marriage isn't working out.
University of Canterbury sociology professor Frank Furedi had another theory: “The more you organize your relationship, the more you work out diaries and schedules, the more it becomes a business relationship than an intimate, loving spontaneous one,” he told the Telegraph.
Getting it right is certainly a delicate balance. While dividing household chores guards against resentment, a degree of give and take and flexibility is also required to make things run smoothly. A marriage definitely isn't a business, and treating it as such quickly strips the love and the fun from a relationship.
Are you successful at balancing chores, or is your domestic delegation far from blissful?
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