Feeling pleased with myself

Jane 71 Huge pat on the back for attempting and succeeding. Since DH died last year I have approached some tasks with trepidation. Recently dismantled and cleaned 3 bathroom extractor fans, cleaned out and refilled silicone on window sills (indoors) and done some calking on tiles/units. Some may say we are weak wimps not knowing how do do DIY tasks but I say I afforded my DH respect for his interest in and ability to do most of the household maintenance just as he appreciated my skills.

And Albertina, I think you should be proudest of all

Supergranuation
Well done, one of my daughters and I learned to crochet a few years ago watching YouTube tutorials, I’ve made dozens of throws now, the house is full of them, my daughter is a bit adventurous and has made bags and gloves, but I’m pretty impressed with myself.

Brilliant Jane71,lovely to have a feeling of satisfaction,I have always told my 3 girls nothing a woman can’t do,but so true if you do stuff it ends up being your job for ever,keep us posted on your handy work !

Well done !

As for me, I'm pleased with myself for getting through root canal treatment this morning.

Supergrannuation- well done! I'm working on this skill myself. We should both be very proud ( even if I don't have a shelf to store the needles and yarn )

Learned to knit! Only taken me 68 years

Well, Hetty58 and GrammyGrammy,

It's actually nothing to do with being clueless and dependent, or social conditioning and brainwashing! Simply not enough hours in the day, this woman's got to sleep sometime! I'm happy to be the full time carer, do the cleaning, cooking and gardening and find some time each day to do as I please but DIY isn't it!

Oh beechnut you have made my day 🤣🤣🤣🤣 and Oreo I was thinking the same! But I actually call mine the cleaner on occasions

Well done Jane it's a great feeling to accomplish something for the first time.

Oreo.

I grew up in a female household, so I’m quite handy, unlike my DH! I’m the most practical one by far. However my great aunt was brilliant at everything she tackled, as my lovely uncle was DIY dyslexic. Their very old grade 2 listed house badly needed rewiring so she went to the library and found a book telling her how to do it. She did get a qualified electrician to check it when she’d finished, and he was extremely impressed. She also painted the whole outside of the house. She could also sew and knit brilliantly and even spun her own wool. Not the best cook though, although she decorated some amazing birthday cakes, we just learned not to eat the cake!

I think division of tasks should be done on a partnership basis. As I spend hours every day on domestic chores, while Mr GO wears out his armchair and the TV, I think it's a fair exchange that he does the DIY jobs, though it takes him a long, long time to get round to any of it.
However I can and do, do the basic servicing on my motorbike (changing oil, plugs, oil and air filters), though I do have to get Mr GO or my son to undo the sump bolt, and it takes all of their strength to deal with that.

Beechnut

I’ve got my cleaner in pieces on the shed bench and have found the problem. I’ll see about getting the part later in the week.

All human cleaners are safe everybody 🤣🤣

I put an 'invisible' zip into a onesie I was making. I'd never done one before but it was surprisingly easy. I did watch a YouTube tutorial first. There's a 'how go's for absolutely everything on there.

Beechnut shades of Dr Frankenstein duh duh duuuuuugh....

Even the smallest DIY job becomes a disaster in our house, I think I could write a book on how not to do things, we don’t argue often, but we can have a massive row over putting in a picture pin.
I think you’re all amazing, I’m totally impressed.

other things that have pleased me greatly: replacing a tiny broken part within my laptop and fitting up a system to link two tall lovely water butts together and hence to a downspout

Also replacing the dualit toaster element and a digital wall thermostat. I was pleased to have done a good job

I was happy to have designed and made a folding wooden stand to enable my wood carving. It was not easy to learn how to install joints but thank goodness for youtube

I now successfully maintain my three bikes after my husband died. I am very pleased to have learnt those skills, the hard way btw

I have lived alone for the sixteen years or so since my divorce. My ex was a tradesman and superb at all ‘DIY’-carpentry, electrics, plumbing, tiling, he could do it all (and did!) speedily and without too much fuss or nagging. I couldn’t compete with his expertise so was happy to let him although I did do most of the painting/decorating as he hated it. Since being alone I have learned to tackle most jobs I need doing without too much fuss as I was used to watching him do it (and helping where necessary!). When my Dad passed (also a tradesman) I had a great many of his tools and like to think he is cheering me on from the Great Beyond, although I think he’d be horrified at some of my techniques and short cuts! I can also sew, cook and do all the other things a woman needs to do to get by. I certainly don’t need a man to do them for me! Unless it’s my cooker which broke this week and I had to have new heating element fitted. Electrics (and plumbing) like that I leave to the professionals!

It used to be really nice to balance the labour and my husband would do the jobs he was very good at and similar for me.

Then when he died I had the confidence to start on the maintenance for upkeep and then prior to selling my house, a big smile came upon me when I got up a long ladder, tied to big posts and I managed to sand and paint the top verandah and the job was good

I sold and bought my new build and confidence was still within me, after all if I could repair a hole or reverse a process, then I could tackle the `handyman` jobs in my new home. I used a hammer drill, after researching the best plugs for thermalite and consequently put up all the fittings for heavy mirrors, big pictures and a curtain rail and they are solid fixtures

That went on to having the confidence and courage to fix a tricky job in the loft, the problem concerned a soil vent pipe initialy installed by a so-called professional. I did it, fixed two leaky joints and insulated the whole pipe, then made good, the plasterboard and floor insulation

Best thing is to ignore naysayers, including one I had on GN.

Try it and if an attempt on a fix is able to be reversed, then no harm will be done. The whole maintenance process since my husband died is what has pleased me the most, he would have been so proud of me. I never do things by halves

I was perhaps lucky in that my father strongly believed that his daughters should be able to do all necessary DIY. I even put up the chandelier lights in four rooms in our new house. However <whispers> I do quite like it when DH asks me what needs to be done and then does it. Such a refreshing change from my first marriage where my late spouse despite many redeeming features was deeply uninclined to put himself out.

Hetty58

Crikey - I've always done the DIY, building, garden projects - even replaced guttering - since being a child. It's not rocket science. If I'd waited for my husbands to get around to it I'd have been living in squalor! Why do women admit to being so clueless and dependent?

I am neither clueless nor independent!

I happen to be married to a man who loves working with his hands and is very good indeed at practically anything that needs doing around the house or to our bikes.

I dislike that kind of work and enjoy cleaning, organising the household, washing and ironing as a relaxation from my academic work.

You might want to take temperament and preferences into your scheme of things, Hetty, instead of just making rude, sweeping statements.

I have a broken shoulder but have deep cleaned the filter in dishwasher, replace broken wing mirror, deep cleaned filter in washing machine this week. and just returned a blouse. (really not easy) as when I found the label to print I printed it but was patchy, needed new ink cartridge...run out ordered more,forgot who from, back to Which, want next day, refuse to pay postage, found new supplier...and so it goes. But at least there is not water leaking all over the floor.

*resealing

I don’t think it’s a gender thing. I’m utterly hopeless at any DIY task and so was my second husband. Only 30 years after we’d parted did I learn that my first husband had become quite a good plumber!

I stained my front door with “quick drying” wood stain, that was streaky, blobby and still tacky four days later, and seeped under the masking tape to stain the glass too.

I tried reselling the leaky shower tray and just like my attempts at royal icing, it looks like a snow scene (and still leaks as badly, just looks worse than it did).

I unscrewed the loo roll holder and an inch-wide lump of plaster came off with each screw…

BUT… I have successfully fitted a pop-sock over the downpipe to the water butt to stop it filling with leaves. Go me!

I know we women shouldn't be pathetic when it comes to DIY, but many of our age group will not have done woodwork or metal work at school, as they were considered subjects for boys. We only had the choice of cookery or needlework.
Fast forward 50-60 years and is it surprising that I am better at making meals or curtains and my DH is great at DIY? Why would I struggle to do a job he can do 10 times quicker and better?
I did once put a shelf up at work. It was loaded with quite heavy items and stayed on the wall at least until I left 2 years later. I was very proud.

Sara1954

I would be completely hopeless, my husband would also be completely hopeless
We learnt many years ago, that if we were to avoid tears, tantrums and rows, it would be best to let the professionals do it.
I’m a perfectionist, and he’s a ‘I think that will do’ type of person, very bad combination.
Oddly, both our girls will turn their hands to anything, and our son is useless.
Hettty, I truly admire your skills, but I don’t feel helpless or needy, I just know someone else will do it better.

Sara this did make me smile. My Dad was pretty good at DIY and as I loved spending time with him, I was often his little helper as a child. Consequently, I am not too bad at DIY. I am also a perfectionist. My DH is from an engineering background and tended to use big tools to hit things consequently, our ideas on DIY are not quite in alignment. So as not to offend him I tend to do things I don’t want him to partake in when he’s at work. I bought a secondhand reproduction shelving unit with the intention of drilling and filing a hole in the back for cabling for Sky box etc. I part did the job with the intention of completing it the next day after work. DH ‘helped’ when he got home from work. I now tend to make sure I have time to complete anything which requires neatness 😂