A small tidbit of family housekeeping advice went viral when Isaac Colavecchio, the dad behind dadwise.co channels on social media, posted a video headlined "Something dads should stop doing."
Colavecchio suggested that rather than asking your partner to assign you tasks around the house, dads can take active steps to complete basic tasks in taking care of a home.
"Just look around. See what needs to be done. If there’s dishes in the sink, do the dishes. If the kids are being crazy, take them outside and run them around. If the floor needs to be swept, sweep the floor," he said in the video posted in early August.
According to a 2022 study from Lancet Public Health, women spend far more time on "unpaid work" around the house compared to men. The study "confirms persistent inequities in the division of unpaid work, with every study reporting women doing more."
Beyond just physical labor, a Pew Research study found that mothers are also more likely to worry for a child’s future and safety than fathers.
Colavecchio’s video went viral garnering over 600,000 views on TikTok. He also received comments encouraging this kind of proactivity.
"It’s literally just THAT simple," read one comment.
Colavecchio said although his words were originally intended for an audience of dads, he found that his message resonated with a wide array of audiences.
"It seems like the women are also very on board for their men to be taking ownership of their lives," he said to "Good Morning America."
According to the father of four, among the questions a new couple needs to answer is "Who is going to cook and clean?" and "Who is primarily at home?"
MORE: Mom's post about doing 'nothing' all day shows how the work of motherhood is viewedStaying in line with your partner's needs is paramount, according to Colavecchio. "It's a lot of communication to stay on the same page."
"I think for a lot of men saying, 'what do you want me to do' can just be a cop out," he said.
Colavecchio said that was a lesson learned slowly over time and the advice he offered "was basically just me telling other men what my wife has been telling me forever."
"It's an iterative process. So we're always kind of tweaking and learning and growing," he said.
Fathers, he said, should try to "be intentional and to put your attention towards your family, and to really press in and try to love them well."
