I saw the following newspaper clipping on a friend’s facebook page a couple of years ago. I stumbled onto it again today and just had to share.
It’s DEAR CAROLYN, or TELL ME ABOUT IT – written by Carolyn Hax of The Washington Post. What I love about this article is her brutal honesty and the truth she throws out there. She doesn’t hold back…not even close.
Why Don't Friends with Kids Have Time? Are you serious?
The hilarious thing about this is that it’s not just friends without kids who think this way. Many people who have kids act like this as well, as if we’re pretending to be busier than we are, or that their lives are harder than everyone else’s. Working moms think that stay-at-home moms have it so easy because they just sit at home all day with the kids. Stay-at-home moms think working moms have it easier because they get a break from their kids to be amongst adults all day long.
Husbands who work all day often think that their stay-at-home wives raising the kids should be able to keep the house spotless and cook a homemade meal with the best ingredients every single day, all while caring for their children – cleaning them, feeding them, playing with them, running them around to play dates, appointments, school, sports practices, music or swimming lessons, and educating them…oh, and putting out the ocassional fire (metaphorically speaking, although in some cases, this statement can be taken literally).
Dammit, Bobby! I told you not to play with matches!!
Moms are busy – whether they work at home or out of the home, whether they are full-time mothers or full-time workers…all moms have commitments to deal with, appointments to keep, schedules to juggle and children to raise as well as they can.
We second guess ourselves enough, and we create too high a standard for ourselves…we don’t need others (spouses and so-called “friends”) placing their expectations onto us and acting disappointed when we can’t live up to their ridiculous standards.
I think the above article can be summed up in one simple statement: “Shut up, lady!”
Source: Why don’t friends with kids have time? Tell Me About It, Washington Post
Related articles
- Staying Sane as a Stay at Home Mum (kleenexmums.com.au)
- Carolyn Hax: Differing views of roles, relationships (knoxnews.com)
- Stay at Home Mom vs Career Mom (mylovelythoughtsdotcom.wordpress.com)
Can I get an AMEN!! If only our single or childless friends could comprehend the enormity of being a mom. I can tell you right now if that woman were my friend she would have been kicked to the curb, long ago. Thanks for re-posting the article I will be putting that on my FB wall!
Found this again today on Facebook to and did a quick search to find the original article and stumbled on your post. Thank you for taking it one step farther. Having been on both sides of the fence as a working and now stay at home mom, it’s always busy. ALWAYS.
I love rediang your articles, Stephanie.So engaging, insightful and wonderfully written.Wow! What a life-giving and hopeful invitation MOMS of the WORLD yes let us unite.
Nothing but excuses. Gal who wrote this post for washington post is no different than the thousands of other fat lazy people making nothing but excuses for behaving immoral. Bottom line is you do have time but fall into a rut of bad habits and end up being lousy people and lousy friends. Stats don’t lie take one look at the obesity figures by state those people are the ones who claim their kids take all their time. You keep telling yourselves that you blob of crap but in the end you failed yourselves!
Frank – The woman who wrote the response to this question, who has a column in this nationally recognized newspaper is pictured in the article and is clearly not a “fat lazy” person.