Friday, December 21, 2007

So, I Really Don't Do Anything Around Here

Yes, according to my darling daughter, I just sit around all day. I just sit here with my computer on my lap and do nothing. She does more in one day than I do in a whole week. Where she gets her ideas I'm not sure. I think she is really starting to realize that life is not just about fun and games. She goes to school all day. She's been working until 10:30 or 11:00 a couple nights a week. She doesn't think she should have to do anything around here. When she's not in school or working, she thinks she should be out doing something fun.

She probably has never done enough around here. I am home. I have never really expected the kids to do a whole lot. They're in school. They have activities, so I do what needs done. Both kids have one night a week that they are expected to wash the dishes. One night. When Beth was working 4 nights a week, and even since she's been working at Marshall's only a couple nights a week, I haven't even expected her to do that every week. I know she's busy.

The other night, though, she didn't have to work. She had also brought a bunch of cups and glasses out of her room. These were cups and glasses that had been in there for I don't know how long. For some reason she collects them in there, and who knows what is growing in them. I really don't want to deal with them. On the other hand, I don't really trust her to get them clean, either, but since about half the dishes that needed washed were hers, I figured she might as well wash them. It was her night, anyway. I told her that if she got busy and washed them before dinner, she wouldn't have to wash as many because there wouldn't be any dinner dishes yet.

That's when I got the whole tirade about how she shouldn't have to wash the dishes because she never uses them - no matter that I pointed out that all those cups and glasses were hers, and she had baked cookies before I got home from the grocery store. She ignored that part - she doesn't eat here (not my fault - she hates everything) so she shouldn't have to wash the dishes. She went on and on about how she does so much every day, and I don't do anything and she shouldn't have to do my job. Oh, and besides that, I'm never happy with the way she does the dishes anyway so why should she bother? I can't explain that to her. I've tried. Hello! They're dishes. They need to be clean. Period. If they're not clean, I'm not the only one who won't be happy.

She was impossible to talk to. Finally I just told her that she would not be going anywhere if she didn't wash the dishes. She refused to do them. She did not go anywhere. I had to wash them yesterday because I needed room on the counter so I could cook. She thinks she's going somewhere tonight. I guess she won't be happy tonight, either.


  1. This is such a worldwide problem... I think any of us Mum's could write such similar posts.

    Still it's good to read others, makes me feel less like I'm the only one who has these hassles!

  2. I had a similar argument with my son. He refused to clean up his sister's mess, because he didn't make it. When I pointed out that I didn't make half the messes I clean up every day, or wear a fifth of the laundry I do, he shut up pretty quick. It was either clean the one thing I asked, or do his own cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. for 2 weeks. He cleaned up the one small mess. We as mom's are so underappreciated!


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