As moms (and in some cases dads) we tend to do everything to excess when it comes to our kids and taking care of the household. We never get a vacation or get to call in sick, we just push through and get it done.

The downside to that is when we take a step back and realize we’re doing way too much for the other members of our family when they’re quite capable, in a sense enabling them to expect that you will do it all.

Sometimes when I’m feeling really under-appreciated for all that I do, I feel like going on strike – one mom did just that for 6 days. Did you read about that awhile ago? The strike wasn’t about her “normal job and responsibilities as a mom” as stated in the article.

We might have to touch on that verbiage “normal job and responsibilities as a mom” a bit later. That might need to be another post entirely. But I digress.

During the six-day strike she continued to do other parts of her ‘job’ by cooking meals and packing their lunches for school. Oh, and of course she still did the laundry – but only if it was sorted and next to the laundry room.

What she did stop doing was the chores and tasks her daughters should have been doing themselves – like cleaning their dishes, picking up their dirty clothes off the floor, and cleaning up after art projects – things like that.

Her strike was about the overtime – above and beyond the aforementioned ‘normal’ job and responsibilities – more specifically the time she spent performing her daughters’ chores for them. She realized she was doing too much rather than teaching them to be responsible for themselves, so she went on strike – that strike lasted six days.

She wasn’t fed up with her kids, or looking for a break from being a mom, but she was fed up with having to be a nag to get them to do it. I know the feeling – it seems I have to be a major nag to get everyone else to pick up after themselves, and in most cases I might as well be talking to air, because I still have to constantly nag. I don’t like being a nag.

More often than not I feel very under-appreciated for all that I do around here. I wonder if it would take six days for my family to notice I stopped doing it all, or if they would actually get a clue earlier – or at all.

While I have never gone on strike, I have been less consistent with keeping the house clean – it’s sort of like a rebellion mode or maybe a ‘why bother?’ thought process because no matter how much I clean and organize, I have 2-1/2 people out of 4 messing it back up again. Which means it takes at least twice as long to clean and organize in the first place.

Which brings me to this week’s question:

Have you ever been tempted to go on strike when you discover yourself doing too much and not being appreciated? How do you get your family to pick up after themselves without being a nag?

Have a great weekend.

.

Happy Aloha Friday!

.
From Kailani at An Island Life:
In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So on Fridays let’s take it easy on posting, too. Ask a simple question…nothing that requires a lengthy response. It’s a great way to make new blogging friends!
Kailani’s had her plate full and hasn’t had the linky up the last couple of weeks, so I’m adding one here so y’all can link up and visit other Aloha Friday participants if you want – and you can link up even if you’re not doing an Aloha Friday post, back the Friday Free For All I used to have available for you:
Mister Linky's Magical Widgets — Easy-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
For best results, use HTML mode to edit this section of the post.

 

More Friday Follow Fun:

.

Feed Me FridayfriendandfollowChubby Cheeks ThinksLet Them Eat CakeBericeBaby

.

.

 

17 Comments

  1. JR does the laundry in our home and always has, even while working nights. One morning at 6am our oldest (age 12 at this time) woke him up to complain about how his laundry was done. JR had only been asleep for 3 hours. To say he was pissed would be an understatement. When the boy got home from school that day JR was waiting. From that day forward JR never did the boy’s laundry again. If the boy didn’t have clean clothes it was is own fault. When the youngest got to the same age JR taught him to do his own laundry. It was something they needed to know to be independent adults and JR didn’t hear anymore complaints.

  2. ALL THE TIME! But my kids aren’t old enough to do anything for themselves yet. I have a 12 month old and a three year old…its a constant battle. But I can’t wait until the day I actually get to go on strike! Through my hands up, take a vacation say you do it!!! But I know the OCD side of me will be like “YOU DID NOT JUST THROW THAT AWAY WITH OUT PUTTING A BAG IN THE TRASH CAN DID YOU!!!” I would flip out!

    ANyway, I just found your blog on “That Friday Blog Hop” Love this post! I’m following on Facebook!
    Heather would like you to read ..The Weekend Blog Post ShowcaseMy Profile

  3. I kinda do when I go out of town. All of a sudden, the three other adults living in this house start to panic because there are no clean towels. ha ha. I only feel sorry for my canines.

    Thanks for putting up that AF linky. Somehow I think you’ve just adopted another weekly ritual. Hopefully, we’ll get some followers.

    Have a great weekend!
    Harriet would like you to read ..it would be WONDERFUL if they could learn how to close a door behind them and wipe their feet.My Profile

  4. Oh yes, I have had some moments of my own. Oh my gosh..Kelly had a teenage son and I had a teenage son and daughter when we got married. We don’t own a dishwasher and all the children were expected to take turn doing the supper dishes and that shouldn’t have been so bad with so many of them but it was a constant fuss…”Why do you cook the messy stuff on my night”…”how come Hannah’s night is a sandwich night” and they would be mad about it and maybe not deliberate; maybe so; but they were constantly breaking dishes. One night it flew all over me. I stood in the middle of the kitchen and I dared them to touch the dishes anymore and I ranted as to what I might do if they did. Guess what?! They took me up on that and there has been a solitary dish washed in the house but by me after that.

    MMMmmm…that’s a score for them..and for all those Moms out there that are so thrilled being mom, I totally agree that I love ’em but ugg..teenagers. You ain’t seen nothing yet.
    Lynn would like you to read ..Wicked Good Wednesday Blog HopMy Profile

  5. If I went on strike it would only last as long as I could put up w/the messes getting bigger and bigger. No one would cave, that would require work.

    I hate to get sick…because it takes longer to clean the house from the time I was down and out than I care to even think about… it annoys me.

  6. I’m currently on strike from cooking. I got a little too tired of yielding the complaints from the kids and I told them I quit! When they wanted to know what that meant I told them they could either learn to cook or hope their father feeds them. It has been months now and I still haven’t put the picket sign down 🙂
    Beth would like you to read ..Elf on the Shelf IdeasMy Profile

  7. I live this battle daily with my twin 3 yr old boys. So, some days I strike and some days I just pick my battles (translation: suffer in silence). When it comes to dinner battles, I am not against having the boys go to bed without and I have taken toys away when not cleaned up as asked. Always a balancing act.
    Janis at The Magic That Is Thrift would like you to read ..The Frugal Five – Giving BackMy Profile

Comments are closed.