I’m back with another dating trend. Have you missed me? (Probably not…I’m not exactly the bearer of positive dating news.)
But this particular dating trend is not necessarily negative. In fact, it is more whimsical and effective than anything else. Dubbed “choremance,” it involves the merging of chores and—you guessed it—romance.
You might be thinking…Why would anyone do such a thing? Let’s dive in.
What is a ‘Choremance’?
A choremance is a dating trend that centers around performing duties with a potential suitor or current significant other. In today’s world, which seems to be mostly work and little play, it makes sense to combine the two into something effectively fun.
According to Bruce Y. Lee, MD, MBA, in his Psychology today article on the subject, “Choremancing is about going on dates that consist of doing chores together. Yes, that’s right, common household, work, or everyday chores like shopping, cooking, or cleaning together.”
There’s nothing like mopping the floor and scrubbing dirty dishes to cheer you up. How romantic…
Although I guess you could say that this trend is at least productive in nature. But there’s your excuse of being “too busy” to date.
Benefits of a Choremance
While a choremance probably doesn’t sound very appealing (I mean, dating themselves feels like a chore to many people), it can at least help you make time for two important facets of your life.
This is especially true for exciting couples. I don’t know about you, but after a long work week, I feel like I only have time to clean my house and do a quick reset before a new week. Of course, planning date nights with my boyfriend sounds great, and I’d much rather have dinner and drinks than catch up on laundry or go shopping. But sometimes that’s all we have time for. Viewing such errands and tasks as a date can romanticize the experience in a way.
Not to mention, you definitely see a different side of someone when they’re doing chores. How well do they clean? Are they useful? Do they get stressed easily? Are they able to maintain their light nature? You will learn a lot about the person, especially if it is early in dating.
“A choremance can be a good example of what your future together would be like,” Lee wrote in her article. “If you think that being a committed couple is all about going to the ball, being showered with flowers, hot sex, or laying out on a Bali beach all the time, then you have more than a few things to learn. A long-term relationship is typically much more mundane—filled with days after days of navigating life, supporting each other, and getting things done together.”
Life isn’t always fancy date nights and lazy Sundays. If you can find someone you enjoy doing chores with—a successful choremance, you might call it—then I’d say you’re pretty lucky.
