What is The Fair Play Method?

The Fair Play method is a system created by Eve Rodsky to help couples divide household responsibilities more equitably. It is a gamified system that involves identifying 100 common household tasks and then assigning them to either partner, ensuring both contribute their fair share, not necessarily an equal split. The method emphasises clear communication, understanding individual needs, and creating a collaborative approach to home management. 

Fair Play is not about chore charts — it’s a cultural shift. It’s about redefining gender roles, valuing women’s time and identities, and fostering mutual respect and teamwork in relationships.

The Fair Play Method offers much more than an equitable division of labor — it’s a pathway to greater joy, connection, and intimacy in relationships. Here's how:

💫 Joy

• Freedom from burnout: When mental and physical loads are shared fairly, women experience less resentment and more energy for themselves.

• Rediscovery of passion: Fair Play carves out space for individual pursuits (what Eve Rodsky calls “Unicorn Space”), enabling personal growth and joy beyond roles of worker or caregiver.

• Playfulness returns: With less daily overwhelm, couples find room for lightness, spontaneity, and fun again.

💞 Connection

• Shared language and goals: The method gives couples a tangible system (the card deck and Conception, Planning, Execution framework) to have productive, non-blaming conversations about domestic responsibilities.

• Better communication: By surfacing hidden assumptions and making labor visible, Fair Play opens the door to empathy and understanding.

• Mutual respect: When each partner's time is equally valued, emotional closeness grows. No one feels like a martyr or an underappreciated helper.

🔥 Intimacy

• Less resentment = more desire: Unequal labor often kills intimacy. When fairness increases, emotional walls come down, and connection improves.

• Emotional safety: Knowing your partner sees and supports your needs fosters vulnerability and deeper emotional intimacy.

• Time for each other: With less chaos and clearer responsibilities, couples can prioritize each other again — for conversation, romance, or simply being present.

Fair Play isn’t about perfection — it’s about creating a more sustainable, fulfilling partnership where joy, connection, and intimacy can thrive again.