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Man’s Sexist Upbringing Leaves Him Incapable Of Basic Chores, Gets A Brutal Wake-Up Call
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Man’s Sexist Upbringing Leaves Him Incapable Of Basic Chores, Gets A Brutal Wake-Up Call

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There are some families that insist on utterly under-educating their sons in things like “how to clean a mess” and “how to do laundry,” leaving all that work for mothers and daughters. The result is a sort of utterly useless and oftentimes disgusting type of man. Unfortunately, when they go out into the world, they tend to expect prospective partners to just pick up the slack.

A woman asked the internet if she went too far after dumping the mess her brother made into his bed. We got in touch with the woman who made the post and she was kind enough to get back to us.

RELATED:

    Some men never learn how to clean a single mess

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    Image credits: YuriArcursPeopleimages/Envato (not the actual photo)

    So a woman who was hosting her brother decided to make a point after he left her home dirty

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    Image credits: Wallace Chuck/Pexels (not the actual photo)

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    Image credits: prathanchorruangsak/Envato (not the actual photo)

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    She later shared a small update

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    Image credits: ThrowRA-Hanshotfirst

    Being unable to clean isn’t a sign of masculinity

    Image credits: Tom Morel/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

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    Bored Panda got in touch with the woman who made the post and she was kind enough to share some more details. “My brother left and ran off with some girl he has been chatting with. You can find a second post on my page with that update. I have no idea why people connected with it, a lot of people were sharing personal stories of people they had to deal with (mostly brothers and husbands) that were equally incompetent so maybe this is just a silent epidemic. I honestly found the comments that seem totally bewildered by my tolerance to be the most helpful. When someone acts dumbstruck because of your actions it is hard not to do a real reevaluation of your mindset. I would just like to add this, women who were raised in homes like mine have to wake up because it is not right to allow others to treat us this way.”

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    Some families don’t teach their sons to clean, cook, or be generally useful around the house because of long-standing gender roles that assume household responsibilities are a woman’s job. If you happen to be from a family where that was not the case, ask your female friends about the worst men they’ve dated, or just look at stories like this. There are all too many guys who can’t even fathom the idea that one should clean up after themselves.

    Even in modern times, many parents, sometimes unconsciously, raise boys with different expectations than girls when it comes to domestic skills. Sons are often encouraged to focus on academics, careers, or physical activities, while daughters are expected to learn how to maintain a household, even if both will eventually need those skills as adults. This creates an imbalance where boys grow up without the basic ability to take care of themselves, relying on future partners or even their own mothers well into adulthood. Some even try to “mask” this as behavior “real men” don’t do, as if taking a tiny amount of personal responsibility when you make a mess isn’t masculine.

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    To be clear, the brother here goes far above and beyond “normal” amounts of dirty, the mess he leaves his downright unhygienic and disgusting. Using a trashcan isn’t some special skill that needs to be trained, he is just being disrespectful, although it’s unclear if this is just because of his off-putting personality or something he saw growing up in his own family.

    Unfortunately, some families think it’s ok to have useless sons

    Image credits: Sandra Seitamaa/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

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    In many cases, this dynamic comes from cultural or generational habits. If a father was never expected to clean or cook, and the mother handled everything, the same pattern may continue with their children simply because “that’s the way it has always been.” Of course, this often means that there are men who grow up with bizarre and entitled ideas about how a relationship or even marriage will look like. Some parents believe they are doing their sons a favor by not requiring them to participate in chores, thinking it allows them more time to focus on other pursuits. What they don’t realize is that they are setting their sons up for dependence, making it difficult for them to function as self-sufficient adults.

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    For example, in this case, we very clearly see that this mindset is holding the son back. Even from a purely selfish mindset, he can’t even keep a partner because he is so disgusting. Not only that, his own sister has half a mind to kick him out. This all points to the simple and pretty obvious fact that being a lazy slob is not a good life strategy.

    There is also the issue of laziness being rewarded. If a boy resists doing chores or claims he doesn’t know how, some parents give up and do it for him rather than insisting he learn. Over time, this reinforces the idea that avoiding household work is acceptable and that someone else will always step in to take care of things. This attitude carries into adulthood, where some men continue expecting their partners to manage the home while they contribute little to nothing in terms of domestic labor.

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    The result of this upbringing is not just an unfair burden placed on women but also a disadvantage for the men themselves. Learning to clean, cook, and handle basic household tasks is not just about fairness—it is about independence. A man who can take care of himself is not just a better partner, but a more capable person overall. Breaking this cycle requires parents to recognize that life skills are not gendered, and that raising self-sufficient children—regardless of gender—benefits everyone in the long run.

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    Readers were quick to call her the brother and his parents

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    One readers even shared a similar story

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    Ic_polls

    Poll Question

    What do you think about the sister's approach to handling her brother's mess?

    She's justified in her actions

    She's being too harsh

    She should give him another chance

    She should kick him out immediately

    Share on Facebook
    Justin Sandberg

    Justin Sandberg

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I am a writer at Bored Panda. Despite being born in the US, I ended up spending most of my life in Europe, from Latvia, Austria, and Georgia to finally settling in Lithuania. At Bored Panda, you’ll find me covering topics ranging from the cat meme of the day to red flags in the workplace and really anything else. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, beating other people at board games, cooking, good books, and bad films.

    Read less »
    Justin Sandberg

    Justin Sandberg

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    I am a writer at Bored Panda. Despite being born in the US, I ended up spending most of my life in Europe, from Latvia, Austria, and Georgia to finally settling in Lithuania. At Bored Panda, you’ll find me covering topics ranging from the cat meme of the day to red flags in the workplace and really anything else. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, beating other people at board games, cooking, good books, and bad films.

    Ilona Baliūnaitė

    Ilona Baliūnaitė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place

    Read less »

    Ilona Baliūnaitė

    Ilona Baliūnaitė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place

    What do you think ?
    Add photo comments
    POST
    Bernd Herbert
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am really starting to despise the word "traditional". More often than not it just means being a misogynistic p***k

    Hile Troy
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That is, unfortunately, traditional for much of the world and much of history.

    BrownEyedPanda
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Live like a slob and and get an attitude when confronted about it? Not under MY roof. Not. Ever.

    Breadcrumb.
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A little off topic but..Stop making losers fathers. Someone made this man a father, and it's clear he didn't pick up before a child so he definitely wasn't going to start once a baby came along. You can choose the father for your children, and who you want to show up for your kids. Do you want it to be this loser?

    Sue Ellen Bowen
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Good riddance. I think we can see why his girlfriend kicked him out. This guy just needs to go live in a barn.

    Tabitha
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A sty, more like. With the other pig brothers. OP needs to change the locks and put up security cameras and No Trespassing signs, and call the cops every time he comes on her property. Even if he eventually proved he had cleaned up his act (pun intended), I would still be permanently leery of having him spend ANY time in my home. Being such a pig when someone’s kindness—-in this case, his own sister’s—-is the only thing between him and living on the streets, since no one else stepped up and took him in, is the ultimate last straw insult to OP and the kind of thing that makes friends and even siblings go full NC with people like that.

    Load More Replies...
    Robert Beveridge
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't understand how he didn't get thrown out the first time he broke the smoking rule, honestly.

    Trillian
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He's already acting like he lives in the streets, he will feel right at home. If my brother SPAT on my floor I would raise such hell he'd be volunteering to scrub my floors with a soft toothbrush.

    G Bono
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This isn’t about OP and her brother growing up in a sexist house, I had the same upbringing, as did my brother. Putting cigarettes out on the floor isn’t about sexism, it’s about disrespect. Also, the brother should have been responsible for all aspects of taking care of the garbage, at least that was our experience. Females don’t take out the trash or lift anything over 15 lbs (until she has her babies), so those are absolutely his chores. Regardless, as she said, she learned mechanical things (I never did) and he can learn how to clean. Since when is closing juice and syrup bottles a gender thing?

    Offbeat Quinoa
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He was taught from a young age that it’s fine to disrespect women, make messes and expect them to clean up after him, including with the bottle lids. That’s where the gender part comes in.

    Load More Replies...
    AMaureen Dance
    Community Member
    6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And the more she tries to get him to act civilized, the more he will try to show he's the boss, just because he has a p***s.

    H. B. Nielsen
    Community Member
    6 days ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah this is even beyond just "traditional" What you say is usually true. The men do have jobs and chores outside of work even if the distribution isn't always fair. Each should know how to do all jobs though even if they are assigned. This guy is straight up psycho.

    Jack Sonol
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    OPs bro went WAY beyond weaponized incompetence. That was like some passive aggressive petty revenge weaponized incompetence. It's too late, take him out back and...

    tori Ohno
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Putting cigarettes out on the floor and spitting gum behind the coffee pot? That's not a spoiled baby who doesn't know how to clean. That's a hateful, spiteful person. Either their parents raised a man who hates and disrespects women, (maybe hates everyone), or he's taking his breakup out on his sister. But what he did wasn't lack of knowledge, it was simple hatred.

    H. B. Nielsen
    Community Member
    6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I suspect the first time she told him to clean up after a regular mess he escalated to all that psycho stuff. Big time retaliation for her having the audacity to ask him to respect her home.

    Ms.GB
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My parents raised my brother and I the same way and I'm still cleaning up his messes. He does work and pay rent and he's trying but he's also on the spectrum so it's kind of like teaching a kid. I still have to help him keep his bathroom clean and pick up after him in the kitchen. He does his own laundry now and he takes the trash out. My mom used to take care of him and do all that but she's had a stroke so I take care of her now. It's hard. I've at least gotten him to be more independent than my parents ever did. He's not as bad as that guy that's for sure.

    Alex Mosby
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My brother is this kind of slob, with one exception. He will only cook in a clean kitchen. He's not sexist. He knows he should clean, he's just gross. My other 2 brothers keep their homes clean at all times. They are very sexist and think women are beneath them, but they were fully expected to cook and clean growing up. I, as the youngest, was the only one who got away with not cooking.

    Romy Rösli
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He spits stuff out on the floor?!?! That’s just sooo disgusting! I‘d not let anyone who does this live with me, no matter whether they end up homeless.

    Jan Kovář
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank you. I am a lazy man and my wife sometimes complaints that I do not help enough (sometimes even rightfully). I need to let her read this. Comparing to this man I am a Hall Of Fame Husband. :-D

    H. B. Nielsen
    Community Member
    6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lol!!! This guy definitely takes it to a whole other level so you aren't wrong. See and having a level of introspection sets you way apart. I'm a woman and I'm too lazy with household chores myself.

    Bernd Herbert
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am really starting to despise the word "traditional". More often than not it just means being a misogynistic p***k

    Hile Troy
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That is, unfortunately, traditional for much of the world and much of history.

    BrownEyedPanda
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Live like a slob and and get an attitude when confronted about it? Not under MY roof. Not. Ever.

    Breadcrumb.
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A little off topic but..Stop making losers fathers. Someone made this man a father, and it's clear he didn't pick up before a child so he definitely wasn't going to start once a baby came along. You can choose the father for your children, and who you want to show up for your kids. Do you want it to be this loser?

    Sue Ellen Bowen
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Good riddance. I think we can see why his girlfriend kicked him out. This guy just needs to go live in a barn.

    Tabitha
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A sty, more like. With the other pig brothers. OP needs to change the locks and put up security cameras and No Trespassing signs, and call the cops every time he comes on her property. Even if he eventually proved he had cleaned up his act (pun intended), I would still be permanently leery of having him spend ANY time in my home. Being such a pig when someone’s kindness—-in this case, his own sister’s—-is the only thing between him and living on the streets, since no one else stepped up and took him in, is the ultimate last straw insult to OP and the kind of thing that makes friends and even siblings go full NC with people like that.

    Load More Replies...
    Robert Beveridge
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't understand how he didn't get thrown out the first time he broke the smoking rule, honestly.

    Trillian
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He's already acting like he lives in the streets, he will feel right at home. If my brother SPAT on my floor I would raise such hell he'd be volunteering to scrub my floors with a soft toothbrush.

    G Bono
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This isn’t about OP and her brother growing up in a sexist house, I had the same upbringing, as did my brother. Putting cigarettes out on the floor isn’t about sexism, it’s about disrespect. Also, the brother should have been responsible for all aspects of taking care of the garbage, at least that was our experience. Females don’t take out the trash or lift anything over 15 lbs (until she has her babies), so those are absolutely his chores. Regardless, as she said, she learned mechanical things (I never did) and he can learn how to clean. Since when is closing juice and syrup bottles a gender thing?

    Offbeat Quinoa
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He was taught from a young age that it’s fine to disrespect women, make messes and expect them to clean up after him, including with the bottle lids. That’s where the gender part comes in.

    Load More Replies...
    AMaureen Dance
    Community Member
    6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And the more she tries to get him to act civilized, the more he will try to show he's the boss, just because he has a p***s.

    H. B. Nielsen
    Community Member
    6 days ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah this is even beyond just "traditional" What you say is usually true. The men do have jobs and chores outside of work even if the distribution isn't always fair. Each should know how to do all jobs though even if they are assigned. This guy is straight up psycho.

    Jack Sonol
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    OPs bro went WAY beyond weaponized incompetence. That was like some passive aggressive petty revenge weaponized incompetence. It's too late, take him out back and...

    tori Ohno
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Putting cigarettes out on the floor and spitting gum behind the coffee pot? That's not a spoiled baby who doesn't know how to clean. That's a hateful, spiteful person. Either their parents raised a man who hates and disrespects women, (maybe hates everyone), or he's taking his breakup out on his sister. But what he did wasn't lack of knowledge, it was simple hatred.

    H. B. Nielsen
    Community Member
    6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I suspect the first time she told him to clean up after a regular mess he escalated to all that psycho stuff. Big time retaliation for her having the audacity to ask him to respect her home.

    Ms.GB
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My parents raised my brother and I the same way and I'm still cleaning up his messes. He does work and pay rent and he's trying but he's also on the spectrum so it's kind of like teaching a kid. I still have to help him keep his bathroom clean and pick up after him in the kitchen. He does his own laundry now and he takes the trash out. My mom used to take care of him and do all that but she's had a stroke so I take care of her now. It's hard. I've at least gotten him to be more independent than my parents ever did. He's not as bad as that guy that's for sure.

    Alex Mosby
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My brother is this kind of slob, with one exception. He will only cook in a clean kitchen. He's not sexist. He knows he should clean, he's just gross. My other 2 brothers keep their homes clean at all times. They are very sexist and think women are beneath them, but they were fully expected to cook and clean growing up. I, as the youngest, was the only one who got away with not cooking.

    Romy Rösli
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He spits stuff out on the floor?!?! That’s just sooo disgusting! I‘d not let anyone who does this live with me, no matter whether they end up homeless.

    Jan Kovář
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank you. I am a lazy man and my wife sometimes complaints that I do not help enough (sometimes even rightfully). I need to let her read this. Comparing to this man I am a Hall Of Fame Husband. :-D

    H. B. Nielsen
    Community Member
    6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lol!!! This guy definitely takes it to a whole other level so you aren't wrong. See and having a level of introspection sets you way apart. I'm a woman and I'm too lazy with household chores myself.

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