“Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!”
by Tara Pringle Jefferson
It all started with ants.
It’s summertime and the days are busy. So even though we have a dishwasher, sometimes we go to bed with dishes still in the sink. It happens.
So a week ago, I get up in the morning and find ants in the sink. Ugh. I put an ant trap in the cabinet under the sink, stuck the dishes in the dishwasher and rinsed out the sink and surrounding countertops and went about my day.
Came home from work, made dinner and fixed everyone’s plates, put up the leftovers and put all the dishes that didn’t fit in the dishwasher in the sink to wash in the morning.
Wouldn’t you know – I wake up and AGAIN there are ants. I’m getting frustrated. Why am I the only one who loads the dishwasher? Shoot, if I really stopped to think about it – why am I the butt-wiper, the Jell-O fetcher, the check-the-labels-to-make-sure-there’s-no-ingredients-in-it-that-the-kids-are-allergic-to checker and all those other duties that fall to me?
I’m not complaining – truthfully, I love being a mom and doing all those “Mom” things. But it is beyond frustrating for my kids to walk past their father (who is sitting on the couch watching ESPN) and ask me, “Mommy, can I have some juice?” when I’m juggling 18 other things.
It’s not my husband’s fault. I’ve created this “problem.” I wanted to be the perfect wife and mother and anytime anyone asked me for anything, I was on my feet before they even finished talking. My husband, on the other hand, took all requests in stride and got around to it when it fit his schedule.
Therefore, the kids quickly learned Mommy = I get it now and Daddy = I gotta wait a minute. They’re smart kids so they come to me with all requests. If I shoo them away to ask their father, they cry and whine. Oh boy. What did I do?
I’m trying to “untrain” them, but my results so far are eh. I’m hoping that they are young enough to latch onto this whole “Daddy can get me juice, too” idea before I officially lose my mind.
Any other parents out there dealing with one parent being the preferred parent? How do you “fix it” – or do you just deal with it?
Tara Pringle Jefferson is a freelance writer and blogger living in Ohio with her husband and two children. Visit her blog, www.theyoungmommylife.com, to read more of her observations about life, motherhood and love.
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Comments (4)
I love my husband and kids to death and I overall think they are all great people(and this isn't because I am biased) but it would be nice to know that I can step away without having to run the house for just a few. My husband tries but it definitely isn't the same as me being here...what are they going to do when I do go back to work?!?!?!
I also have set it up to where certain things he has to handle. My daughter has 4 hermit crabs in her restroom and that is their thing that they do together. If he leaves to run an errand while I am cooking or cleaning, he knows to take her with him so I can decompress. He probably thinks I'm nuts but as a mom you just need a minute of peace in order to continue being efficient.