The Downside of the Domestic Life
Let’s face it. We all need a common enemy to “kvetch” about. Right or wrong, we bond over shared gripe sessions. (This is especially true for women.) When you’re doing the 8-5 thing, oftentimes the object of your grumblings is someone in the workplace, whether it be your boss, coworker or client.
No matter how wonderful (or not wonderful) they are in general, there’s always something that will get on your nerves, and when you come home, your significant other gets to hold back your hair while you verbally vomit (again). Well, what happens when you remove all of these situations from your life at once? Suddenly, you’re left with facing the enemy at home.
Were your kids this naughty while they were at daycare? Probably, but you weren’t with them for 50+ hours a week, so how would you know? Was your husband always this cranky in the mornings? Most likely, but you were so busy getting ready for the workday before that you didn’t notice. Was your extended family actually this crazy? Oh yes, you just used work as a distraction to avoid the madness.
So there you have it. While staying home full time can alleviate some domestic problems, it exacerbates others (in my opinion). Do I still think I made the right choice? Absolutely.
When we were trying to conceive I was horrified by the way SAHM’s would complain about their children (envy is a funny thing) and I SWORE I would never be THAT Mom. The world sure looks different from this side of the Cheerios box. I AM still glad that I am able to stay home with my kids, but I hear THAT Mom in my voice sometimes. When I do I try to remember that she’s tired and encourage her to do her best. Thanks for your post. I am so glad you are blogging. I found those first years pretty lonely and could have used the outlet that it seems you are finding. Kudos.
I TOTALLY relate! I was fairly “judgy mcjudgerton” before (that will always come back to bite you). I am very grateful to have this outlet, and am truly enjoying getting to know these delightful creatures I was blessed with. Thank you for your words of support!
At least while you’re home, you can redirect your annoyance toward domestic activities that won’t take offense. I can’t tell you how many weeds have been yanked out of the ground named after people who have irked me.
Well, sadly, I can’t really tell between weeds and legitimate plants, so I’d better take my annoyance out on something else. 🙂 I did scrub the heck out of my kitchen floor today! Thanks for your support 🙂