You Don't Have A Work...

Ladybug has become pretty adept at playing the flash games over at nickjr.com. So we let her play for a limited amount of time occasionally. It gives her something to do which does not involve being in the same room as her younger siblings.

While at work on Monday, I get this email from my wife.

"So Ladybug wants to play Nick Jr. games and I told her I need the computer for
work. She says I don't have a work. I told her my work is staying
home and taking care of her. Then she said when she gets big, she is going
to go to a boys work like Daddy. When she gets big, she is going to go to
school, drive and go to work. I asked her if she wants to work at home
like mommy and she said no."

My initial response was that my future son-in-law is going to be a S.A.H.D., but later I thought about how she perceives her mother and I.

One way I viewed this was that she is a glorified "Daddy's Girl". She'll probably choose Daddy over Mommy any day of the week. By wanting to go to work, she's just wanting to be like Daddy by emulating what he is doing..

Another way is that she thinks boys go to work and girls stay home to take care of kids. You can't fault her for that. This is what she sees everyday. Her mother, her grandmother, her aunt all stay at home while their husbands work. Daddy is a boy and goes to work. Mommy is a girl and stays home. She makes the same observation about bathroom behavior.

"Boys stand up. Girls sit down. Boys sit down to poop."

The other was is that she doesn't see what mommy does as work. To be fair, work is actually a place Ladybug has visited. She likes to go potty there when they pick me up on occasion. She then repeats her bathroom knowledge in the large empty restrooms.

"Boys stand up. Girls sit down. Boys sit down to poop."

Work is a building far away. It's not where you sleep, play, watch TV and eat. She's only four, she'll get it eventually.

She also does not see the work, progress and attention that her mother gives to the home as actual work but as things that are not very fun. Stuff like cleaning up, washing clothes, and taking kids to doctor's appointments. Maybe this is just a kid thing and she'll learn to see the responsibility and importance of a stay at home parent.

Or it could be that she just doesn't want to be at home. I could be leaving to roll around in sour milk and coffee grounds and she would want to come with me just because I was leaving the house.

So should my wife take it personal? Do your kids think the same way, whether it's the mother or father staying home?

What do you think?

Have a great weekend my friends.
Eric.

Be sure to check out Ladybug's Mommy's Blog.