I love the show The Middle. It is usually on Wednesday nights. It is a comedy about a middle class family that has funny things happen to them. The show makes me laugh hysterically because it shows what marriage and children really do to a couple.
One of the episodes that mom's can relate to is Mother's day. They show the dad taking the kids to a store to pick out gifts for Mother's day. As you can imagine it is a disaster. The youngest boy yells, "Hey dad, does mom like condoms?" The dad replies, "NO-get out of that isle!" So they buy her some goofy gifts like a foot massage. They go to show how different Mother's day is compared to Father's day.
This has been something I have struggled with since becoming a mommy.
Dad- sleep in until he is rested
Mom- is on call 24/7
Dad- watch a football game uninterrupted
Mom- fold laundry, sweep floors, entertain kids, cook dinner, take the dog out, answer phone, pay the bills, while trying to watch the football game
Dad-has a cold and gets to take a four hour nap
Mom-has a cold and she takes some cough drops and sucks it up.
Dad- goes out occasionally with guy friends
Mom-goes out for an hour with girl friends and talks about how much she misses her kids
Dad-"Didn't the kids just have a bath?"
Mom-knows the last time the kids: ate, napped, pooped, bathed, and brushed their teeth.
Dad-full time employment with benefits
Mom- full time job with no benefits other than snotty kisses and lots of love
It is easy to see how much work we as mom's do and sometimes I get resentful when I shouldn't. My husband is a great husband and an amazing father. His kids adore him. He works very hard and comes home to take care of his kids and more work around the house. I sometimes have to bite my tongue, when I start to think of how unfair it can be with the workload a mother has to carry. I do get many breaks throughout the day to take time for myself and I know it is just a season. One day I won't be woken up because of a scary thunderstorm, I won't read "If you give a pig a party" before bedtime, and I won't have the tiny hand to hold while crossing the street. I need to cherish every moment good or bad, easy or hard, and be the best mommy I can be. That is who God designed me to be and his plan is flawless. Even on my worst days- I look up to the sky, say a quiet prayer and know that God will give me the strength to get through anything.
That is the way it is in our house too. I resent it too (especially the colds big babies). On the other hand I want to be the one who does it all with the kids, I guess what I could do with out is all the cleaning. My theory is men think it is their god given right to sit on the couch and let us take care of it.
ReplyDeleteI, too, catch myself feeling resentful about being the one STUCK with all of the house duties while hubby spends COUNTLESS hours away from the house and gets to sit in the recliner and put up his feet when he comes home. He is the one who gets to sleep soundly through the night while I am the one taking care of the baby at all hours of the day/night. I get frustrated that hubby thinks our house should always be a little cleaner than it is; yet, I feel like a maid. I laughed when I left our son with Hubby for AN HOUR to go get my haircut and they "ran out of things to do" while I have entertained our son for 17 months!!! Hubby is the one who carries the stress and financial worries upon his shoulders while HE works outside of our home so that I can stay at home with our son. Sometimes, it seems unfair - leaving me to feel under or un-appreciated, but I remind myself that HUBBY is making sacrifices so that we can make it work on just one income. I, too, love my husband dearly and am thankful for all of these opportunities.
ReplyDeleteSo true Lady.....so true!!! You crack me up!
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