Brisbane stay-at-home mum's dedicated routine for husband divides opinion
A Brisbane mum has found herself enjoying an unlikely 15 minutes of fame after she penned a Facebook post detailing her life as a stay-at-home mum and housewife.
Brooke Smith looks after four kids under the age of five and says she doesn’t rest each day until all the household chores are done, and her husband’s lunch is made and his clothes are set out for the next day.
In a post in the Mums Who Cook, Clean and Organise Facebook group, Ms Smith detailed her wifely dedication.
“I always make sure I don’t go to bed until everyone’s lunches are packed, their clothes are set out for the next day — including my husband’s — and the house is clean, dishwasher is on and load of washing is on,” she wrote.
“Sometimes it means I get to bed at 9, sometimes that means I get to bed at midnight.”
But no matter how late she gets to bed she is always up the next morning before dawn, she says, to make her husband’s breakfast and coffee, as well as do her hair and get some alone time.
“I always get up early (4.30 with husband to make his breakfast and coffee), to make time for me, have a hot coffee and do my hair,” she wrote.
The post produced a variety of responses from the other mums in the group with some praising her dedication to her family. Others, however, said she was doing too much and questioned the example she was setting for her kids around gender roles.
“I think it’s great you do it all, but you do need to share the workload, especially as you get older, teach the kids so that they know how to when they leave home,” one person said.
“My husband does his own washing, my kids make their own breakfast,” one mum wrote, suggesting Ms Smith was living in the 1950s.
When the debate was picked up in the media, Ms Smith appeared almost bemused by the interest in her daily routines.
Speaking to news.com.au, she said she appreciates the different opinions but said her husband, who works full time in construction, deserves to be looked after.
“There’s always a mix of negative and positive feedback on anything you post on Facebook but yeah, I think there’s a lot of women assuming that I’m living a ’50s lifestyle, and that I shouldn’t baby my husband,” she said.
“But I think that if someone works hard in the sun all day and now after hours to make their business work, I think it is the least I can do and he shouldn’t be expected to come home and cook and clean.”
Along with looking after the four kids, the couple also reportedly run an MMA gym and breed American Bulldogs so there’s seldom a spare moment.
“I think that for us taking the traditional male and female roles on in our households creates a happy family” she said. “Everyone has something that works for them, and this is what works for us.”
When sharing the surprising media attention on her personal Facebook, at least one friend said things worked the same in their house.
“I agree with you and it’s the same in my household also. Besides the waking at 4:30am to cook breakfast as he doesn’t eat in the morning,” they wrote.
“I still manage to do the female roles and work full time. I don’t think ppl should be getting on their high horse if it works for you that’s all that matters.”
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