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Dawn's household manual
Before filming starts, each wife writes a manual explaining how their house is run. Below are highlights from Dawn's manual.
HOUSEHOLD CHORES
How often do you clean your home?
I clean my home every day before I go to work in the morning and when I get home from work; I don't like going to bed until the house is the way I want it. It's my role as a wife and mother to keep a tidy, clean house.
Who does the general cleaning around the house?
I do everything in the house, because that's my role as the woman of the house. I enjoy doing it myself and am proud of my home.
I don't think the children should have to work in the house - they're children and they should be enjoying themselves. Gary doesn't do any domestic work in the house, that's my job. We both think that there are men's jobs and women's jobs - and they are different. It's Gary's role as the man of the house to do the work outside the house, while I do the work inside the house. Gary can't really do things inside the home properly - if I were to ask him to make our bed - he'd throw back the covers and tell me that the bed needs airing. He wouldn't do it properly and put the cushions and teddies back properly - so I'd end up doing it.
WHO DOES THE FOLLOWING, AND HOW OFTEN?
Vacuuming?
I hoover the entire house every day when I come home from work - without exception, I can't stand little bits on the carpet.
Dusting?
I dust every other day, I lift the dust by using soapy water and a cloth so that I can be sure that it's done properly. I make sure the TV, window sills, fireplace and all the furniture are spotless. Once a week I clean the skirting boards, usually at the weekends.
Ironing?
I iron EVERYTHING for everyone in the house - I iron socks, pants and boxer shorts. The only things I don't iron are the towels. If there's laundry in the basket, I end up ironing every day, otherwise it piles up and gets on top of me. We like the feel of ironed clothes - it makes us feel good. I'd hate to stick things in the tumble drier and then put them away without ironing them, that's just sloppy.
On weekdays, I start ironing at about 6 - 6:30pm and I won't stop until I've finished. I set the ironing board up in the kitchen or the bedroom and start ironing (after dinner about 6.30pm) and keep going until the basket is empty. Often I don't finish until 10pm.
Cleaning the bathroom?
I clean the bathroom thoroughly every day when I get in from work. I use soapy water to wash down the bath and sink, but use bleach on the toilet. I don't use bleach on the taps as it ruins the chrome on them, so I use soapy water. The only way I can get the floor properly clean is to get down on my hands and knees, I also wipe down the tiles on the walls.
Clothes washing?
I wash clothes every day, I like to keep the wash basket empty. I never let it pile up.
Cleaning the kitchen?
I leave the kitchen spotless before I go to bed. I clean it again in the morning after the kids have had breakfast and I clean it thoroughly when I come home from work before and after everyone has had dinner. I get down on my hands and knees and clean the kitchen floor with soapy water when I come home from work - it always needs doing.
COOKING / MEALS
How often do you sit down and eat together?
Sundays is the only day we eat as a family.
The kids eat breakfast and their evening meal together. Gary and I eat our evening meal together but after the kids have eaten theirs.
The only time the kids will feed themselves is on a Saturday and Sunday morning when they will help themselves to toast or cereal.
The kids have a regular routine at meal-times, they expect their dinners on the table no matter what.
I cook Sunday lunch between 3pm and 4pm , we always have the full works - traditional roast with homemade Yorkshire puddings and stuffing.
Where do you eat?
We eat at the kitchen table. The kids are not allowed to eat in their bedrooms or in the sitting room - this is not something I allow.
On a rare occasion Gary eats in the sitting room, but I don't like him doing this.
Who prepares meals?
I prepare the kids breakfasts on weekdays, at weekends they prepare it themselves, I lay the breakfast table for them.
I make Lewis his packed lunch for school every morning. He has a mild cheese Sandwich, a chocolate biscuit, a yogurt, crisps, a banana and a bottle of water.
Kirsty has school dinners every day.
I make lunch at weekends - it's my job as mother to make them their meals.
Does Gary help with dinner?
Gary never helps me with the cooking - but he always interferes. He will butt in and stir the gravy, then try and take all credit for making the meal. He cooks the occasional steak because he thinks I overcook them, but he wouldn't offer to make a meal from scratch. We see cooking as being my role, if I didn't cook, everybody would live off takeaways.
DAILY ROUTINE
What time do you get up?
I get up every weekday at 7:15am without fail.
Do you ever get a lie-in?
On weekends I get a luxurious lay in till 9am.
How do you spend your week-day evenings?
I come straight in and feed our cat and four dogs. I start making the kids' dinner because Lewis gets moody if he doesn't eat by 4.30pm. The kids eat their evening meal together while I start cleaning the bathroom and washing the bathroom floor.
I have a look in their school bags and clean them out if there is any dirty sports kit or rotten fruit.
I then go upstairs and spray fabric freshener on the beds and then I make them. I wash the bedroom floors upstairs with a soapy cloth.
When the kids have finished their dinner, I wash the dishes and get down on my hands and knees and wash the kitchen floor.
The kids have to complete their homework before I allow them to play in their rooms or go outside.
I hoover the sitting room and kitchen. I then start preparing dinner for Gary and myself by 5.30pm.
I sit down and eat with Gary at about 6pm, the kids are usually out playing or they are in their bedrooms.
I like Gary and me to have dinner done and dusted with the dishes washed and put away before 6.30pm, so that I can get on with the cleaning until its all finished, if I can't do this I get stressed. If I've no ironing to do and the cleaning is all done, I might visit my friends for an hour with the kids and we normally moan about our men.
At 7:30pm I run the kids a bath, they then usually go into their rooms and watch their own TVs in the evening.
Sometimes Kirsty watches TV soaps with me while I'm ironing or sitting on the couch, but Lewis always wants to watch something different on TV, so he'll spend most of his time in his bedroom. Gary sometimes watches TV with us but normally he'll go out to his friend's house. Both kids are upstairs in bed for 9pm sharp.
If I've got all my ironing done, I have a glass of wine or two and Gary has a can of beer. He usually goes to his friends' most week nights and comes home between 9pm - 10pm when the kids are in bed. I then have two glasses of wine - that's my sleeping pill, Gary has two beers, and we are in bed by 11-12pm.
What time do you go to bed?
Gary and I usually go to bed at around 11.30pm.
DISCIPLINE
Who does the childcare? What does it involve
I do everything involved with the children. At the end of the day Gary's a kind of step-Dad but he doesn't have a major part in their lives, so looking after the kids is down to me on a day-to-day basis.
How do you discipline the children?
I usually ground them, stop them watching TV or take away pocket money, Gary leaves the discipline to me.
THE RELATIONSHIP
What tips can you give for coping with Gary?
Take a very deep breath and count to ten before dealing with Gary. Don't ever rush him to do things, you must ask him nicely or you've no chance. He'll storm off out with his mates if he feels you're getting at him or nagging. He thinks mentioning something more than once is nagging.
How do you like to be treated?
I like to be treated with respect and I like people being up front with me. I like honesty, I hate people saying things behind my back.
HOUSE PHILOSOPHY
Please sum up the philosophy of this house and life within it.
A woman should be a good mother and put a good meal on the table.
Gary and I believe in very traditional male and female roles. A women's role is to be a wife and mother and this means being in charge and control of everything to do with the home. A man should be the breadwinner and go out and earn the crust.
I do everything in this house - because that's the way I like it to be. The house runs through my ability and strength to get everything done. I hope that my children will see how I manage my house; I'd like my standards to rub off on them. But at the moment, my children aren't given chores to do in the house because I believe that children should remain children for as long as possible, - they should be free to have fun.
I love routine and find that being organised is the only way to get everything I need to get done in the day. A clean house is a happy house - I can't sit down and rest until all the chores are complete. I'm not a happy bunny if things aren't clean and tidy.
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