I call it the Mamita Factor.
Every mother dreams of her son going on a mission, working hard, strengthening their testimony, and learning life skills. You know the life skills I'm talking about - some of those domestic ones that inherently come with living on your own. Cooking - even if it is just tuna mac, cleaning, ironing, picking up after yourself. Things like that. Right? Am I wrong here?
Well, imagine a mission where all of those things were done for you. Glorious right?
Maybe for the missionary. But not for the future wife! The repercussions of this are dreadful for the wife-to-be.
On Greg's mission in Chile the missionaries live with "Mamitas". They are usually single or widowed older ladies who open their homes to the missionaries. They get room and board, someone to cook them all their meals, do their laundry, iron their shirts (and even their garments!), wash their dishes, clean up their messes... you get the idea. {sigh} Wouldn't that be something!!?
Needless to say, from that experience, Greg lacked growth in those skills. So I am still trying to cultivate him to some degree.
Needless to say, from that experience, Greg lacked growth in those skills. So I am still trying to cultivate him to some degree.
He has one weekly chore at our house. Granted, he helps willingly in other areas when he is asked. But I hate having to ask and I especially hate being a nag. So the one chore that is assigned to him, I try to bite my tongue about when I see weeks of neglect go by. The one chore you ask? Garbage. Yes, garbage. And weeks go by? Yes and Yuck! Especially when the leftovers of that lovely time of the month sit and sit and sit in the bathroom waste basket.
I know I know. I should just take care of it.
Especially since something like that is my mess.
I know.
But I'm trying to teach a lesson here. Right? Or am I the only one getting the point of that lesson?
The other day I found Taryn walking around with something in her mouth and hand. Something that looked like it did not belong in either.
"Taryn, what do you have?"
She bolts, like she always does.
I catch up to her.
What do I find?
An old and used, wrapped up maxi pad!
******************
Time to give in?
Nah!
6 comments:
Oh my goodness!!! That is disgusting!!! Poor Taryn is all I have to say. Well, and poor Greg once you get done with him. Hopefully that will motivate him a little more, you know, for his daughter's health... YUCK!!!
Oh, Life! :)
In this WONDERFUL book by Merrillee Boyack entitled, "Strangleing Your Husband is NOT an Option", she discusses this very topic of letting our husbands own their own responsibilities. So that we dont have to be the nagging wifes & we can just love 'em. She uses the very example of the garbage & of Home teaching. As long as he knows that's his responsibity & no one elses -then don't you touch that garbage! Shes says. Because what your in essence saying by doing it for him is, "hey, its ok, if you just waite long enough, someone else will eventually pick up your slack & do it for you".
So according to that, sounds like your doing great! :)
This is, shall we say, VERY familiar.
David didn't go on a mission, but he sure did have chores growing up. He will do his own ironing, I will say that, although I often do it for him now. But everything else, I have to ask. Repeatedly. We even have the exact same garbage issue! Weird.
Sounds like my house too! Because my husband didn't serve a mission, I have to teach him of all the chores he "should" have learned. I have the same exact issue with garbage! Our dogs get into the mess and track it all over the house. Who cleans it up? He does! What's more, if I want him to do a chore, I have to break it down so he'll do it. You clean out the dishwasher, I'll load it. You clean the toilet, I'll clean the sink. You get the idea.
Well, I'm glad to hear my husband is not the only one. Good news though. He read this entry and guess who has empty waste-baskets now? Hurray!
That is too funny! Good luck!
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