Be the Boss. Since you've been in charge of what gets done around the house up to now, you should give your husband some guidance about what actually needs doing. Men tend to enjoy tackling big projects, so if you ask him to clean, you might get more than you bargained for. You could find him undertaking a major de-junking in the garage when all you needed was for him to wipe down the counters.
Don't Nag. Any man will tell you that nagging triggers their internal ignore button. If he's helping around the house, don't follow him around or criticize the way he's cleaning or what snacks he's giving the kids. It may not be up to your high standards but at least he's giving it a shot and he'll likely improve over time. Don't forget to give him some praise and encouragement. Positive reinforcement isn't just for the kids. {relatedarticles}
Negotiate. Hardly anyone loves doing chores, but everyone has a chore or two they prefer over others. If there's a particular task he really hates to do, but you can live with, take it for yourself and give him something he can handle. Talent also comes into play. Let's say you're a great organizer and he's the king of scrubbing surfaces to a high shine. Divide chores accordingly. It might help to implement some kind of chore wheel or chart that clearly indicates which chores fall to which family member.
It's an unfortunate truth in our society that housework is considered menial labor unworthy of respect. When you think about it, housework is vital to the health and welfare of a family, and should be appreciated as such. Similarly, childcare is a hugely important job with heavy responsibilities, but is generally done for low or no pay and hardly any recognition. When you think about it, it doesn't make much sense.
