Dear Prudence,
How do I convince my wife (36) that cleaning the kitchen is part of cooking? For the record, she’s a great cook and covers most meals in our house. But between us and our two kids (both of whom are picky eaters), she manages to use every pot and nearly every utensil. She won’t clean as she goes, and by the time she’s done bathing the kids and getting them to bed, she says she’s too tired and will just clean in the morning, which she does about 50 percent of the time. I was raised in a family where if you made a mess, it was your responsibility to clean up, and I’m trying to teach my kids the same thing, but I’m having some issues getting my wife on board. How can I phrase this so she’ll understand and not just get upset at me like she has in the past?
—Kitchen Confidential