Spartan spouses lived separately and often met only on rare occasions with the intent of procreating (Blundell). This tactic was used because they wanted the men to always be focused and trained to be great soldiers, and not having to worry about family life would reduce stress for the men (Blundell). Spartan women were given the role of taking care of the home, children, and family finances (Blundell). However, women in Spartan culture were not raised to perform domestic labor, such as cooking or cleaning (Powell). The reason for this was that they wanted girls to focus their education on being physically strong and mentally strong (Powell). Women knew that when they started a family they would receive a helot or slave to take care of small household tasks (Powell). The role of Spartan women in the family gave them greater independence to carry out the activities they desired and gave them the opportunity to stay away from everyday life.