"Aah, he has to stop oo," a woman said to another, a conversation I can't forget, even though it's been a long time ago. It was during Christmas preparations, with everyone busy frying and cooking. I overheard a woman speaking to her friend about her son, "I thank God for my son oo, he is the one doing it for me."

After the woman asked her what she was doing while everyone else was preparing for Christmas, she replied, "My son is doing it. He fried the meat and is now frying the chinchin." Another woman chimed in, "Madam, better you oo. I want him to stop doing all these things before he marries, and his wife will make him a slave." she said this furiously.

I left the shop wondering if there was anything wrong with the young man's cooking. Cooking and other household chores are often seen as women's work, and in some traditions, it's even taboo for men to wash dishes or enter the kitchen. This makes it seem like virtuousness is only for women. Meanwhile, women struggle with household tasks while men sit and watch.

If a young boy doesn't learn to do household chores, he may grow into a man who can't even take of himself. It's all about upbringing. Boys, young men, and old men need to understand that doing dishes is okay - women appreciate it when their men help out. I understand the woman's fear, but if a man wants to help, why stop him? Ladies need to understand that a good man is not a weak man, and helping out doesn't guarantee laziness or disrespect. These stereotypes don't make sense. Did men who help with household chores die or become less of a man?