The day was going along okay and tonight I went to martial arts and had a terrific class of kicking, punching, and spinning.
After that, I had dinner which was also very good and the day was starting to wind down.
I told my son to get the dishwasher loaded and mentioned that I’d done the breakfast dishes for him so there wasn’t too much to do. He made a face and started…just started to say “don’t help me, you don’t load the glasses…” He didn’t finish his sentence.
photo courtesy of http://www.farcicalfootball.com/?p=271
I snapped.
Every mom has that moment where they feel enough is enough, I do more chores, favours, work around here than anyone else and I’m not appreciated. (okay, not in the perfect houses but for sure in mine)
So that’s what happened. I gave everyone in the house a few comments…and then highlighted some chores Big One and Little One can now hop to before going to bed.
Fortunately (for them, and me) the anger only lasted a few minutes and I hear the little chore angels doing what they should have done anyway, and know they should have done, but try to get away with.
I always tell my husband the kids’ job is to try to get out of chores, and mine is to make them do the chores. Some days it’s easier (and quieter) than others. (He lives in a parallel universe where he thinks they should just do these things every day because once upon a time we told them to.)
I think I’ll make some tea and take myself to bed.
Working Tech Mom 
OMG, I think we’re living the same life, especially the one where the child says “my job is the dinner dishes, those aren’t dinner dishes” and where the husband thinks our children thinks we should do what we say because we’re the parents. Oh yes, and the mother who is mostly patient and tolerant but once in awhile snaps.
I’m really enjoying your blog – thank you!
Hi there suburbanlife. Thanks for visiting. I’ve added you to my blogroll. 🙂
We used to have the ‘what dishes are mine/not mine’ conversations. Now one is the loader, one the unloader. I found ‘shared chores’ did not work at all.
My husband doesn’t want to be the ‘police’ and doesn’t ‘have time’ to convince the teens to do the chores. Did you know God gave husbands less hours in the day than wives? It took me about 20 years to realize that one. (I’m sure you got the sarcasm.)
What? Your kids don’t do chores without prodding, poking, and pleading.
Oh wait, yeah, mine are the same!
And yeah, I’ve even been known to share a few choice words with them, at a rather encouraging volume, to help them along! 😉
Hi Expressmom…please tell me when they are older and talking about their lives, their first words won’t be about mom nagging them to do chores.
Oh yeah, my kids got the encouraging volume last night for sure.
I make no promises…
but, I do keep really great photo albums of all the fun stuff we do. So they can moan all they like & I’ll just whip out one of the scrapbooks and hand it to them! 😉
(Doesn’t ‘encouraging volume’ sound so much better than ‘screeching until my vocal cords bled!’)
I like the part about “whip out one of the scrapbooks”…it sounds like a ninja move. Oh yeah, you think you aren’t having fun…I’m going to show you differently!
Yes, I’m going to try and remember those “encouraging volume” words.
It will be a circle….. just be patient! Haha! Bound to pop it’s head up again.
Can i tell you what i really hate at the end of the day- is that the mom always looks like the wicked witch!!! Dad is simply cool!
xx
Hi bokkie. Second and third that one.
Tea and bed, good plan. I can relate to those times when we just can’t take a complaint/look from those we serve!
Hi zahara. It truly is amazing how they can go from appreciative and kind to acting as if the request (same request as every week) is completely unreasonable.