When My Husband Does the Dishes

When My Husband Does the Dishes

When My Husband Does the Dishes . . . is about love in real life. It's about what marriage looks like after three children and 150 years of togetherness. It's about little white lies and boxer shorts on the floor and eating frankfurts for dinner every night. It's my life. And I suspect it could be yours too.'

Kerri Sackville has written this book for people like her, people who can relate to her, or people who find her amusing - which, in a tragic sort of way, she is.

When My Husband Does the Dishes . . . is part memoir, part faux guide to marriage and motherhood and a must read for all women. It is accurate, clever and very, very funny.

After the birth of her first child in 1999, Kerri Sackville completed a BA in English and Linguistics, and returned to her first love, writing. She has worked as a copywriter and freelance writer for nine years, and in that time has written extensively for mainstream media and parenting magazines, including the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age, The Telegraph, Sunday Life magazine, the Child group of magazines, Littlies magazine (New Zealand) and Notebook magazine.

Kerri also has a long-standing, humorous column in the Australian Jewish News, 'Life And Other Crises', in which she details the endless dramas of her domestic life.

Kerri's stories are usually funny, occasionally deeply moving, and always highly personal, and cover everything from weight loss to friendship, sex, parenthood and grief.

In May 2009 Kerri joined Twitter, and quickly built up a following of over 2000. She began blogging shortly afterwards at www.lifeandothercrises.blogspot.com, and in 2010 was shortlisted for Australasian Blogger of the Year. Kerri is also a regular contributor and popular figure on the enormously successful website Mamamia.com

As a blogger, Kerri has been interviewed several times on ABC radio, and has been profiled in the Sunday Magazine and Sunday Life magazine. She has been featured as a panellist at the Sydney Jewish Writers Festival 2010 and the Sydney Bloggers Festival 2010, and was recently named as one of Kidspot.com's Top 10 Bloggers.

Kerri is married to Tony, a workaholic architect. They live in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney with their three children - a son aged 11, and two daughters aged nine and three - and their recalcitrant bunny rabbit.

When My Husband Does the Dishes
Random House Australia
Author: Kerri Sackville
ISBN: 9781742751627
Price: $32.95

Interview with Kerri Sackville

Question: Why did you decide to write When My Husband Does the Dishes?

Kerri Sackville: We're all fed this notion of marriage being the end of the fairy tale, and what comes after that is the 'happily ever after', but it's not like that at all! So I wanted to write a 'YES' book - one that would make women say 'YES! That's exactly what it's like for me!' so they could know that they're not alone


Question: Honestly how often does your husband do the dishes?

Kerri Sackville: Ha! Maybe once a week, if I'm lucky? But generally that's either because a) the kitchen has got so messy he can't find a plate unless he washes up himself, or b) he wants to hurry me up to bed. Sigh....


Question: Was it important for you to make When My Husband Does the Dishes funny?

Kerri Sackville: It was always going to be funny. Firstly, because I find marriage and motherhood to be quite hilarious - everything from the little lies we tell our partners ('No honey, it doesn't matter at all that you're losing your hair!') to the ridiculous arguments we have ('Seeing as it's the anniversary of my shirt getting dirty, do you think you could wash it today?') to the embarrassments our kids impose on us ('Guess what? My mummy just did a poo poo!'). Secondly, I wanted women to be able to feel better about their own challenges by having a good laugh at me. I mean with me. With me!


Question: Why will woman love When My Husband Does the Dishes?

Kerri Sackville: They are loving it. It's been amazing! It's because they all relate, and they can all laugh. Every day the messages are pouring in: 'Do you have a hidden camera in my kitchen? In my bedroom? In my car?' There is so much pressure on us women to be perfect - the perfect mothers, the perfect wives, the perfect friends - and I'm the antithesis of that. I am the poster girl for the imperfect woman. And let me tell you, there are plenty of us out there!


Interview by Brooke Hunter