Checklists lighten the mental load

One strategy for sharing responsibilities

I often hear from people who are frustrated by the cognitive load they bear in their households.

In two parent families, both parties might be involved in driving kids to activities, but only one party knows what activities happen when, and is keeping track of uniforms and equipment and whether children are in enough activities, or too many, or are practicing the flute four times a week, and are signed up for the recital, and whether that conflicts with someone else’s soccer game, or whatever.

Both parties might be willing to cook dinner or clean up afterwards, but one party keeps asking the other “What’s for dinner?” fully expecting Party B to have an answer, to have procured ingredients and so forth.