I struggled a lot with trying to make a happy home whilst dealing with heavy issues too. A lot depends on how old the boys are.  Help around the house should not be a gender thing, and doing chores can actually encourage a sense of camraderie even though we all might have a whinge about it.

When our family went to Family Therapy chores were seen as an essential part of family life.

I try to make jokes to get my son to help. Earlier I was to exhausted and sad to be able to see humour, but the jobs still have to be done.

try and enlist hubbie from bedside to encourage sons sense of manhood and responsibility re pulling their weight.

Psychological studies show happiness often comes from a job well done, more so than being little princes and princesses.