In my family the men and women graciously accept their roles in the home and everything is hunky-dory. The women generally make the meals and clean up the kitchen post-meal. The men take care of mowing, automobile work, and any heavy lifting or building that needs done. On most occasions, I watch my father come home from a long day at work (5am to 5pm), sit down with the paper, and grumble until Mom has dinner made and the table set. (Mom, of course, only got up at 4:30am to make Dad's meal, laid back down, got up again at 7am to get dressed, let the dogs out, and leave for work- which only lasted from 8am to 4pm.)
When I am home with the family, my mom often asks me to help set the table or prepare a side dish, all while my husband/brother/other male in the room sits and watches television or reads a magazine. I- being the total a**hole that I am- usually throw a fit and ask (loudly) why the 2, 3, or 4 males in the room aren't being asked to help. I never really get an answer. This is just an example; I have plenty more.
Set the scene: It's after Fred's birthday and he's just received cigars that he plans to smoke with Dad and friends. I feel slighted and ask why I can't join in. They explain that I am a girl.
Mother (my mom) :: Audrey (me)
Audrey: (Yelling upstairs to my mother) Hey Mom! Wanna grab a beer and smokes some cigars together?
Mother: (No hesitation whatsoever) No dear, I have school in the morning.
Am I really that mad about having to set the table? No, not at all. What makes my blood boil is the fact that the men are not asked to set the table. If this was 1965 and my mom stayed at home all day curling her hair then OF COURSE she should probably have dinner ready. But it's 2013, my mom works a full time job, she has a husband and son, and I refuse to believe that they deserve to just "chill" while the (ALL READY WORKING) women works.
Call me crazy, but when I have children, they're going to learn it all. My son(s) will know how to set a table and my daughter(s) will be able to change oil. I can't change oil or mow a lawn, but I see the fault in that. I cook dinner for Kyle and I do the laundry, but there's NO reason he can't help with the dishes or put his clothes away. And he does.
When I am home with the family, my mom often asks me to help set the table or prepare a side dish, all while my husband/brother/other male in the room sits and watches television or reads a magazine. I- being the total a**hole that I am- usually throw a fit and ask (loudly) why the 2, 3, or 4 males in the room aren't being asked to help. I never really get an answer. This is just an example; I have plenty more.
Set the scene: It's after Fred's birthday and he's just received cigars that he plans to smoke with Dad and friends. I feel slighted and ask why I can't join in. They explain that I am a girl.
Mother (my mom) :: Audrey (me)
Audrey: (Yelling upstairs to my mother) Hey Mom! Wanna grab a beer and smokes some cigars together?
Mother: (No hesitation whatsoever) No dear, I have school in the morning.
Am I really that mad about having to set the table? No, not at all. What makes my blood boil is the fact that the men are not asked to set the table. If this was 1965 and my mom stayed at home all day curling her hair then OF COURSE she should probably have dinner ready. But it's 2013, my mom works a full time job, she has a husband and son, and I refuse to believe that they deserve to just "chill" while the (ALL READY WORKING) women works.
Call me crazy, but when I have children, they're going to learn it all. My son(s) will know how to set a table and my daughter(s) will be able to change oil. I can't change oil or mow a lawn, but I see the fault in that. I cook dinner for Kyle and I do the laundry, but there's NO reason he can't help with the dishes or put his clothes away. And he does.
