“Momma, girls don’t work.” {pause} “Only me, daddy and working mens.”
For those of you that know me well, when Reynolds said this to me the other day…you can imagine my loving reaction towards my beloved son.
He needed to be educated.
I narrowed my eyes and cocked my head to the side…
“What are you talking about? Girls don’t work?”
“No. Only us working mens.”
“Hmm. What do you mean, baby? You know Momma works.”
“huh?”
I felt slightly confused about where he was deriving his statements…and felt like I needed to learn him in the arena of real life, in which we live.
“When you say girls don’t work, what do you mean? You know I work, right?”
And I’m here to tell him and everyone else out there, even if you don’t work outside the home, by golly, you’re working inside that home keeping those kids alive, teaching them in ways that blow my mind; you’re getting the laundry put away and serving up a piping-hot supper for your main squeeze at the end of the day!
Well, some of that might not be your true reality…but it’s what we strive for, right?!
Reynolds’ next question was why do I work? “Why you work, Momma?”
“Why do I work? So you have clothes to wear, food to eat, this nice house to live in and so we can do fun things, that’s why.”
“Oh.”
That seemed to be all he needed from that conversation because he went right on his merry way, playing with his tools.
As I stood there pondering the conversation that had just conspired, I thought about how I want my son to grow up knowing he has a strong mom. I don’t have to work outside the home for him to know that I’m a working mom. In my reality, I do, and it’s due to a decision Andrew and I prayed and still do pray about. Whether I work inside or outside the home, my son {and daughter} needs to know that my hands are not idle. Ever. There is always work to be done.
To my fellow moms out there…whether you’re loving your newborns, teaching your toddlers the ABC’s and 123’s, helping your other littles learn the difference between Pluto and planets…Or, like me, doing the 8-5 grind with crazy adults all day long {I often wonder which is more entertaining, the adults that whine or the kids…}, we’re all working. The work varies and looks different, but we’re working girls.
Keep it up, mommas! And teach your babies that just because you don’t wear a hard hat, or carry a tool belt or a briefcase, you’re still working!
My men working on the doors Andrew got me for Mother’s day!
P.S. My son just told me that he has 2 brothers: Apla and Ocho…. I’m not sure where he gets it, but he sure makes me laugh!
I love that you used this as a learning situation!
Christine, YES!!!! This kid has to know that we girls work too! :-D