Yep, motherhood isn’t for sissies, and motherhood sure isn’t easy! I already know this but something happened at lunch the other day that really made me think deeper about that sentiment. So, the other day while at lunch with m co-workers, one of them (a father), was asked what he was doing that weekend. He proceeded to talk about how his wife was going out of town, and he was having a hard time finding help with his kids that weekend. I asked “Help? As in, just helping with watching the kids all weekend? There’s not a special thing you need help with, or babysitting, you just mean help with the kids?”. He laughed and looked at me funny, and said “Well.. yeah, just help with the kids”. I proceeded to ask why it is that Dad’s need “help” with the kids, and did his wife need “help” when he wasn’t there? I continued to rant a bit, and it really cracked my co-workers up that I was laying into him like I was. But it got me thinking about how many things Moms do, and we just do it. And we’re expected to do it. And expected to do it well, and by ourselves many times. Why is that? Why is there this unspoken thing that Moms just can and should shoulder so much of the burden of child rearing? Is it because we allow this to happen and men take advantage of it? And I don’t mean in a bad or malicious way, I just mean, that’s how it is, so why mess with a good thing way. Or is it because we are truly automatically better at it than men? Or is there some other reason?
Now don’t get me wrong, there are PLENTY of men that take on the Mom role, and I think that’s awesome.. and this blog post isn’t talking about them. And don’t get me wrong either and think I’m saying my husband or other men do nothing and are good for nothing so and so’s, that’s not it at all. My husband does a lot.. I’m just wondering out loud about the unspoken Mom does it all role that we all just tend to fall into without even really thinking about it. And don’t even get me started on how women are expected to take off work when the kids are sick. That’s a topic I will save for another blog because I can really tear into that one in a different, more sexism way.
What are your opinions? Why do you think it is that we are expected to and just automatically take on the role of supermom? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Leave a Reply