Laundry Day
Originally posted on March 14,2005
To-day is Laundry Day. I've put it off as long as I could, but it has to be done. So now, I've got about 8 loads of laundry to wash, dry, fold, iron and hang up. Fun work. I'd like to think that I'm not a chauvinist, but days like this I understand the differences between men and women.
Let's see here. Among other things, stay-at-home dads get to do:
See, my week is cut out for me. Not much time to update Clay's Ramblings. My wife does more than her fair share of the work around the house. Since she's working, though, I feel guilty if she has to do too much. Most of the first group I can handle. Most of the first group gets done every week. I'll admit that I never get laundry done in one day. Most of the other chores there get done at least every day.
Why am I rambling on about this? I'm not bitter, if that's what you're thinking. I'm just reflecting that Men and Women are different. I've been thinking about a book project titled Home Improvement: or, How Wiring and Plumbing can Wreck a Home.
Men and Women have different plumbing. Of that, most of us are sure. There are a few that are confused about that, but I don't have time to go into that today. But I digress. Suffice to say that our plumbing is different. So is our wiring. I'm convinced of that daily as I watch Mothers and Fathers interact with their kids.
Scenario 1: Kid falls down at the local playground (boy or girl -- it makes no difference):
Scenario 2: Out for dinner with friends and baby starts crying:
God gave each of us a certain wiring. Men are rough, testosterone laden beings with one purpose in life: Kill. That's why we like war movies. That's why we like football. Women, on the other hand, are caring and nurturing. My wife and I have observed that Mom will sacrifice Dad to save the kids. Dad will sacrifice the kids to save Mom. Is this a bad thing? It is just our place in life.
In the 21st century, we humans are determined to wreck God's plan for us. I took my wife's last name at marriage. I am a stay-at-home Dad. I have taken on a role for which I was not designed. I am working hard not to be miserable at my chosen lot. (I am also working hard to switch places with my wife who is working at a marvelous job with excellent benefits. (E-mail me for my resume.)
It all goes back to the Fall of Man in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve were doing very well. They relied 100% on God to provide them with all that they needed. They trusted that God would feed them. There was no need for clothing or shelter, as there was nothing to be clothed or sheltered against. But along comes Satan. As always, he has to destroy a good thing. He tempted Eve with the forbidden fruit, and she ate. She then gave it to Adam and he ate.
He blamed her, she blamed the snake in the grass. God said, (Genesis 3) "I don't care who started it, I'm finishing it. Y'all are in trouble. Y'all messed up big time. Now you have to work for a living. You have to leave the garden and you can't come back. Women will bear children and men will work for food."
Now, in my house, partly through design and partly through circumstance, our roles are reversed. She is working for our food, and I am dealing with the kids. Dads, not all pains of bearing children come from birth! Kids are a pain to raise.
To-day is Laundry Day. I've put it off as long as I could, but it has to be done. So now, I've got about 8 loads of laundry to wash, dry, fold, iron and hang up. Fun work. I'd like to think that I'm not a chauvinist, but days like this I understand the differences between men and women.
Let's see here. Among other things, stay-at-home dads get to do:
- Laundry
- Dishes
- Bathe the Kids
- Clean the house
- Clean up after the dog,cat & guinea pig
- Feed the kids (can't forget that one!)
- Mow the lawn
- Repair the siding
- Repair the soffit & gutter
- Re-wire the home LAN
- Fertilize the lawn
- Pull weeds
- Kill bugs (and other creepy things!)
- Anything else that may come up
See, my week is cut out for me. Not much time to update Clay's Ramblings. My wife does more than her fair share of the work around the house. Since she's working, though, I feel guilty if she has to do too much. Most of the first group I can handle. Most of the first group gets done every week. I'll admit that I never get laundry done in one day. Most of the other chores there get done at least every day.
Why am I rambling on about this? I'm not bitter, if that's what you're thinking. I'm just reflecting that Men and Women are different. I've been thinking about a book project titled Home Improvement: or, How Wiring and Plumbing can Wreck a Home.
Men and Women have different plumbing. Of that, most of us are sure. There are a few that are confused about that, but I don't have time to go into that today. But I digress. Suffice to say that our plumbing is different. So is our wiring. I'm convinced of that daily as I watch Mothers and Fathers interact with their kids.
Scenario 1: Kid falls down at the local playground (boy or girl -- it makes no difference):
- Dad says: "You're not hurt! Get back out there and play!"
- Mom says: "Oh, my poor baby! Let me kiss it and make it better."
Scenario 2: Out for dinner with friends and baby starts crying:
- Mom: "Honey, can you see what's bothering the baby?"
- Dad: "What -- the baby's crying?"
- Mom: "Yes, dear. She's been crying for 20 minutes."
- Dad: "OK, let me finish telling Ralph about the..."
- Mom: "Please, dear. I took care of her last time, and I would like to talk to Sandy for a while."
- Dad: "OK, just a second. So, anyway, there we were in the fishing boat...
- As Mom looks on in fuming silence, Dad relates the details of the fishing trip. Not wanting to make a scene, Mom takes care of the baby -- changing a diaper. Ten minutes later, the baby's crying again.
- Mom: "Honey, can you see what's bothering the baby?"
- Dad: "Aw, gee. I just took care of her last time!"
God gave each of us a certain wiring. Men are rough, testosterone laden beings with one purpose in life: Kill. That's why we like war movies. That's why we like football. Women, on the other hand, are caring and nurturing. My wife and I have observed that Mom will sacrifice Dad to save the kids. Dad will sacrifice the kids to save Mom. Is this a bad thing? It is just our place in life.
In the 21st century, we humans are determined to wreck God's plan for us. I took my wife's last name at marriage. I am a stay-at-home Dad. I have taken on a role for which I was not designed. I am working hard not to be miserable at my chosen lot. (I am also working hard to switch places with my wife who is working at a marvelous job with excellent benefits. (E-mail me for my resume.)
It all goes back to the Fall of Man in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve were doing very well. They relied 100% on God to provide them with all that they needed. They trusted that God would feed them. There was no need for clothing or shelter, as there was nothing to be clothed or sheltered against. But along comes Satan. As always, he has to destroy a good thing. He tempted Eve with the forbidden fruit, and she ate. She then gave it to Adam and he ate.
He blamed her, she blamed the snake in the grass. God said, (Genesis 3) "I don't care who started it, I'm finishing it. Y'all are in trouble. Y'all messed up big time. Now you have to work for a living. You have to leave the garden and you can't come back. Women will bear children and men will work for food."
Now, in my house, partly through design and partly through circumstance, our roles are reversed. She is working for our food, and I am dealing with the kids. Dads, not all pains of bearing children come from birth! Kids are a pain to raise.
posted by ClayMan at 11:15 AM
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