1. Divide Chores

One of the tips to ensure you don't do all the housework is to divide the chores up. Try to share these fairly according to the time and effort they take. Insist that everyone does their assigned chores, and don't let them get away with postponing, otherwise things will be continually put off. For a shared house, set a day for cleaning to be done.

2. Start Kids on Chores Young

Get your kids into the habit of contributing to the household chores from an early age; it will be a lot harder if you wait until they are teenagers. Even small children can do some easy tasks, and it will help them realise that rooms don't tidy themselves and food doesn't magically appear on the table.

3. Don't Give in

If the other people in the household don't do their share, you may be tempted to give in and do all the work. It may seem that this will make your life easier than nagging them. But you'll soon get yourself stuck in the assumption that you'll carry on doing everything. Don't give in just because you can't bear to see a mess - they'll never make the effort otherwise.

4. Get a Cleaner

Sometimes, employing a cleaner can be a smart idea, especially if you both work long hours. Who wants to clean the house in their spare time? But it has to be done. So a cleaner can be money well spent. The work gets done, and you don't have to keep on at your partner.

5. Be Relaxed

Do you do all the work in the house because you like it done a certain way, or because your partner doesn't clean to your standards? You could be making work for yourself, so think whether you could relax a bit. Do you really need to spend hours cleaning the windows, or will half an hour do?

6. Set a Schedule

People may complain, but a schedule can be the most efficient way of ensuring that each household task gets done. Otherwise the day the garbage is collected may be overlooked, the fact that the rabbit's cage needs cleaning may be forgotten, and people will go out and do more interesting things.

7. Look after Yourself

Finally, if all your efforts to get other members of the household to share the work fail, go on strike! Only do things for yourself. Do only your own laundry and cooking. This could be enough to make your point, as everyone else finds that they have no clean clothes and are constantly hungry.

Don't let yourself be a martyr or put upon - everyone in the home should do their share of the work. This is the 21st century! Or are you the lazy one who lets your mom do everything?