Men!

Here there's a well developed ability to focus intently on anything rather than the obvious priority task that not only have we talked about but is often suggested by DH. It's an art form and could be admired.

In our house with my DS, "If mum can't find it, it's lost!". Too true, coz he can't see what is in front of his nose. A man in training!

I was joking actually

Mine has just stopped listening! Or maybe he never did. DGSs don't listen either. Is it me?

Perhaps some of our grandpas will feed into this discussion. Would be interesting to hear their take on this.

DH says 'write me a list' but then he has to remember to look at it

Good theory but based on a false premise. In primitive societies the whole tribe, including the women, went hunting. Moreover, hunting – especially something large like a woolly mammoth – usually involved chivying it off a cliff rather than manly face-to-face combat. It seems, however, that women did most of the gathering on their own.

Men were the hunters, so they needed to focus on one thing and go after it - it didn't matter to them about the things they passed on the way. Women did the gathering, so they noticed which fruit was almost ready to pick so that they could return later, where the plants grew that had edible roots, how a bird had a nest of eggs in that bush, and so on.

I have a theory

Men are hunter / gatherers so..... In times gone by were used to moving targets . As tins in the cupboard aren't jumping up and down and waving little tin arms - they simply don't see them :-)

I think they are all the same. If an item doesn't leap out of a cupboard/drawer etc, it's not there, and never has been, until you point it out.

Love that word Loupy I'm going to adopt 'abouttodoitis'

I email himself if it is important and then can resend if he forgets!

Have you seen: If a man says he will do it, he will, you don't have to keep reminding him every six months.

Or find socks in the usual drawer?

TizzLiz that did make me chuckle !! Has anyone noticed mens inability to see stuff in the cupboard or fridge despite detailed instructions ?

loopylou funny how you ( threatening to be) doing it can galvanise DH in to action.

Always write it down! Preferably on a big whiteboard in the kitchen where it is easily seen. Then all you have to do is make sure they look at it every day.
It may not always work but it cuts down the "you didn't tell me'' response.

Definitely the male species have selective hearing and memory. We're I'm having the utility room sorted out after living here for 19 years (he's always suffering from 'abouttodoititis'!

If I've told him once what's happening, I've explained it twenty times ??
Part of it is he's sulking because I've sorted it out, poor chap.......

I think men have 'selective hearing' and 'selective memory'. Now would he have forgotten if it had been anything to do with football/golf/his hobby?

Tiz I can't understand how DH had a career in IT and can't use his phone! DSs think he wasn't really in IT but because he worked for an American company he was really in the CIA!

NanaandGrampy yes, this was a possibility. I can't understand how someone who can make such precision items (he makes exclusive tools) can be so absent minded at home.

Might have been worse . He could have taken the skirting in the car and left the dogs

He took both dogs, though Harvey knew I was not coming and was reluctant to get in car.

Yes, the skirting is off - and cleaned both sides. Think I have found the problem with the washing machine , think the filter is full but it will not come out and it was the engineer who last put it in so he can get it back out!

Did he only take one dog? And is the skirting still on?

Yes.
I get times like that when I tell myself something then it completely goes out of my head, even tho I've been doing other things that are related to it. (I'm not a man btw)