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 Moms out there the preferred parent? How do you “fix it” – or do you just deal with it?
That’s one of the perks of being a mommy! They come to you for EVERYTHING! Sounds like you take it in stride! Sorry about your ants. That’s the worst!
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Wow… you have no idea how this entire post sounded like my life! (minus the ants…lol) My children NEVER go to my husband for anything… worst part, I can be asleep and they’d come whispering in my face to get them cereal, juice, icecream, snacks, ANYTHING instead of asking their father who is already awake and doing NOTHING!
It can be really annoying but I think I prefer being the “preferred” parent. I just wish there was a better balance… like, let me sleep sometimes!
I havent really found a way to break them out of this as of yet. I just direct them to their father sometimes… other times, I go about my motherly duties and fulfill their reasonable requests. If someone does have a solution to this, PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP! lol
Sounds just like my house and the house of every other mom I know. I am my son’s BFF and I call Daddy my son’s “sometime friend”. *LOL*
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I am the worse offender of this “problem”. I even have my husband spoiled. I can’t undo it at this point!! I love it
Oh YES! I know exactly what you mean. And I must agree that I helped create this issue as well. But now it’s getting to the point where my son objects for his father to get him anything b/c he’s so used to me doing it. He always says, “no, mommy do it!” And then daddy has to explain that he’s going to do it, not me. Oh boy…
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This is SO true! When you figure out a way that really works to untrain them let me know!