Dr. Daniel Carlson joins Dave and Liz to discuss the division of household labor and its impact on marital satisfaction. From managing the mental load to ensuring fairness, Dr. Carlson shares research-backed strategies for balancing responsibilities at home. They explore the effects of the pandemic on gender roles, the importance of communication, and how couples can navigate household responsibilities to strengthen their relationships. This episode offers practical tips and insights for couples at all life stages, helping them foster mutual support and appreciation in their partnership.

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This engaging episode highlights the importance of communication, fairness, and shared responsibility, offering actionable strategies to build stronger and more equitable relationships. Tune in for valuable insights and expert advice.

About

Dan Carlson is an associate professor of Family and Consumer Studies at the University of Utah and a Senior Fellow at the Council on Contemporary Families. He is a public scholar whose research has appeared in numerous television, print, and radio media outlets. Generally, his scholarship examines the causes and consequences of the Second Demographic Transition in U.S. society with a particular focus on the gendered division of labor. Currently, he is conducting an NSF-funded study examining long-term shifts in U.S. parents' divisions of labor since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and their association with parents' well-being.

Insights

• Daniel - "Don't sleep on the division of labor. You know, it may not be fun to talk about, it may not be sexy to talk about, but it's important to have these conversations with your partner about what you and they envision the load to be in your family. Who's going to do what you know, if you don't talk about it, you run the risk, potentially, of having somebody who has very different idea about these things, and that can potentially be problematic, so have that conversation, and, you know, make sure that the approach on the same page well, but when it comes to who's going to do what."
• Liz - "Instead of work life, balance, work life, justice, I kind of liked that a lot. I was just looking at the definition of justice as a concern for justice, peace and genuine respect for people, which I love. And I guess it goes back to the communication of even just acknowledging that I'm not going to be home much this week before six o'clock, Honey, can we talk about how that's going to go and just what you're going to need from me most, and what I'm going to need from you most? Can we? Can I pick your brain? Can we have that discussion? I think that's just so lovely, because it really is not going to be that that balance. I think some weeks are just going to be very off balance because of life."
• Dave - "It's got me thinking that you we really can divide responsibilities without dividing the relationship, if you will. It's and sometimes it's the give and take."