If there is a upper middle class complaint that grates on my nerves like no other, it’s the bitching of a stay-at-home mom ( SAHM). To me, this is akin to complaining that you just can’t find a good Mercedes dealership or that your country club doesn’t know how to make a dry martini. If you are a SAH and bitch about being a SAHM, you are complaining about a luxury that many people this country will never have; many families need both incomes to maintain their position in society, and many families have only one parent. I have heard many of the SAH complaints. Because I try to avoid picking verbal fights with people, particularly when I’m at their house eating and drinking on their dime, I often let them go. But, rest assured bitching SAH, I’m mocking you the minute I leave your house. Here’s a sample:
“You have no idea how hard it is to chase a 2 year old around all day.”
That’s true, I don’t . But I know people who chase 20-30 around all day. They are called daycare workers, and they typically make about $10-$15 per hour. So either it’s not that hard, or there are a ton of people willing to do it. You know what else is hard? Trying to reason with stupid people. Or getting screamed at by a client. I once had a highly-paid government employee , upon hearing some bad news about the software we were working with, scream at me for 5 minutes, and then burst into tears and run away. That sounds a lot like 2-year-old behavior, but at least you don’t have to shower and get dressed up to see your 2-year-old act that way.
“My husband says he could never do my job.”
Well, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that your husband says that because A) he’s a moron who cannot care for children (and likely should have skipped procreating), B) he’s tries to make you feel important about staying home with junior, or C) he hates spending time with his kids. There is really no other option. So, SAHM, think about that the next time hubby lays that line on you.
“I miss the challenge of my career.”
Really? What kind of job did you have? Were fairies involved? I don’t hate my job, but I do it to make money. If I didn’t need the money, I wouldn’t do it. But, of all the standard complaints, this one holds at small amount of water. I know some people like to work and like their jobs, it’s a part of their ego, and it can be hard when that goes away. However, it kills me when a woman on kid #2 or #3 says that. Wait a minute? You had one kid. You knew that missing of the career part. Then you had another. And then another. Now I have no sympathy.
Overall, here’s the great thing about living in 2009. We have wonderful birth control methods that allow you to control reproduction. If you have one kid, and find out that it’s really hard, or you miss work, or you can’t stay home with a kid all day, then ride the first one out, get on the pill, and be done with it. But don’t waste my time whining about how hard it is to get a Pack-and-Play out of your SUV every day. It just makes you sound stupid. Just be thankful you don’t have to work and be a mom. Now that’s hard.
This entry was posted on February 16, 2009 at 11:26 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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We are a Whinny Bunch #2
By MikeIf there is a upper middle class complaint that grates on my nerves like no other, it’s the bitching of a stay-at-home mom ( SAHM). To me, this is akin to complaining that you just can’t find a good Mercedes dealership or that your country club doesn’t know how to make a dry martini. If you are a SAH and bitch about being a SAHM, you are complaining about a luxury that many people this country will never have; many families need both incomes to maintain their position in society, and many families have only one parent. I have heard many of the SAH complaints. Because I try to avoid picking verbal fights with people, particularly when I’m at their house eating and drinking on their dime, I often let them go. But, rest assured bitching SAH, I’m mocking you the minute I leave your house. Here’s a sample:
“You have no idea how hard it is to chase a 2 year old around all day.”
That’s true, I don’t . But I know people who chase 20-30 around all day. They are called daycare workers, and they typically make about $10-$15 per hour. So either it’s not that hard, or there are a ton of people willing to do it. You know what else is hard? Trying to reason with stupid people. Or getting screamed at by a client. I once had a highly-paid government employee , upon hearing some bad news about the software we were working with, scream at me for 5 minutes, and then burst into tears and run away. That sounds a lot like 2-year-old behavior, but at least you don’t have to shower and get dressed up to see your 2-year-old act that way.
“My husband says he could never do my job.”
Well, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that your husband says that because A) he’s a moron who cannot care for children (and likely should have skipped procreating), B) he’s tries to make you feel important about staying home with junior, or C) he hates spending time with his kids. There is really no other option. So, SAHM, think about that the next time hubby lays that line on you.
“I miss the challenge of my career.”
Really? What kind of job did you have? Were fairies involved? I don’t hate my job, but I do it to make money. If I didn’t need the money, I wouldn’t do it. But, of all the standard complaints, this one holds at small amount of water. I know some people like to work and like their jobs, it’s a part of their ego, and it can be hard when that goes away. However, it kills me when a woman on kid #2 or #3 says that. Wait a minute? You had one kid. You knew that missing of the career part. Then you had another. And then another. Now I have no sympathy.
Overall, here’s the great thing about living in 2009. We have wonderful birth control methods that allow you to control reproduction. If you have one kid, and find out that it’s really hard, or you miss work, or you can’t stay home with a kid all day, then ride the first one out, get on the pill, and be done with it. But don’t waste my time whining about how hard it is to get a Pack-and-Play out of your SUV every day. It just makes you sound stupid. Just be thankful you don’t have to work and be a mom. Now that’s hard.
Tags: family commentary, parenting, social commentary, stay-at-home moms, working moms
This entry was posted on February 16, 2009 at 11:26 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.