A Woman Stops Doing Chores To See How Long It Would Take Her Family To Start Doing It Themselves
Let's face it, as a family grows, someone usually ends up picking up the slack for everyone else. Then they somehow get stuck in that role. It's expected of them, otherwise, the whole family dynamic falls apart.
For Miss Potkin, she was the one expected to do all the cooking, cleaning, and tidying for the whole family, and she had had enough. She decided she would stop doing it all to see how long it would take for her family to step up and help her.
Enough Is Enough
Miss Potkin started a series of tweets that would highlight the updates and progress of her experiment in a mini-documentary style.
Her intention wasn't to shame or test her family: "This is a lesson in wanting to be heard and respected and not having to repeat yourself when things slip."
By Day Three, They're Out Of Spoons
It didn't take long for the home to start falling apart and far from its standard. By day three, already, the family was out of spoons and bowls.
The best part is miss Potkin didn't actually alert her family to the experiment—it was up to them to notice and figure it out.
Then, Finally, A Glimmer of Hope
Miss Potkin had no idea how long it would take her family to start cleaning up. On day three, however, progress became inevitable. Someone finally took out the garbage.
Would this be the first step back to order?
The Hope Was False
Clearly, the bin was an exception, as the family went right back to their creative ways to survive without actually needing to do any of the work. But she wasn't going to blink, and for good reason.
"We keep our homes tidy because love. We cook food and set tables and fill the air with scents of roses and fresh laundry because love. Love is patient, but love is also tired because she works 14-hour days."
The Laundry Started To Pile Up
There are plenty of other areas where the whole family could stand to pitch in a bit more. It shouldn't only be Miss Potkin's responsibility when they're all just as capable of washing their own clothes, or at least the dish they just used.
It becomes too exhausting and overwhelming for one person: "I know we are ALL tired, but I am most tired. Me. I AM ALL THE TIRED."
Food Was Being Left Behind To Perish
Miss Potkin didn't completely give up on her family. She still was cooking dinner for them.
Except, as usual, no one else was worrying about scraps, leftovers, and the piling dishes from the pans she was using to make that meal. She was using what was left around that was still clean.
Going To The Toilet Turned Into A Gamble
Toilet paper doesn't magically reappear on the holder. Someone has to replace it. It only takes about three seconds to put it back on the roller and doesn't require any special skill.
Yet even in those little things, it was clear the family just assumed she would take care of it, so they didn't bother to do it themselves.
The Shower Was The Only Escape
A shower was the only clean space Miss Potkin could think of escaping to. It was a place she could release her stress into steam.
Being clean on the outside could help restore peace on the inside or at least give her a break from the disappointing results of her own experiment.
It Turns Out Not Even The Shower Was Safe
Except even the shower was simply a reminder to Miss Potkin that if she doesn't do everything, no one does.
This was emphasized by the empty product containers that were all left in the shower.
She Had Her Fun With It
Upon stepping out of the shower, it was time Miss Potkin at least had a laugh. She started to document the rest of the mess around the house comically.
At least some of the mess was organized and all tucked into a corner rather than spread out all over.
Finally, Her family Started To Understand Her Struggles
The experiment went on for a while. Her family gradually started doing things for themselves. It started out by putting the dishes into the dishwasher, yet still without turning it on.
Then, slowly, it extended to wiping off off a messy spot on the floor. There was hope after all!
It Took A Couple of Days, But It Worked
It took three days of her not stepping in for the family to finally pick up the slack and start cleaning up themselves.
By the end of that third day, pictures showed a spotless home. No mess in sight, without any help from Miss Potkin.
It's Not Likely To Happen Again
Although the experiment worked and no dirty bowls were there the next day, this wasn't an experience Miss Potkin wanted to go through again. She had made her point, and that's all she wanted.
"You're gonna have good days, bad days, and a lot of it days, but people don’t like being taken for granted, especially by the ones they love the most. Period."
