My mother-in-law is coming in town today and you know that means - the house must be cleaner and neater than the best five star hotel in town. Which is difficult - on a good day our house is a tad cleaner than a three star roach motel (caveat - this is not your fault honey - it's them kids).
My wife homeschools our daughter but today she had to run a few errands. So, I went home for lunch, while my wife was running errands, knowing that, on a day like today, lovely wife would have given lovely daughter a few things to do while she was gone.
So, I get home and yell to lovely daughter - "hi baby I'm home." In reply I think I might have heard a weak "hi," from somewhere downstairs, although it may have been the cat making a noise. I went ahead and made my lunch and a few minutes later lovely daughter deigned to grace me with her presence at the kitchen table.
I said "hi baby, how are you?" She says, "fine."
I ask, "have you done the things mom asked you to do?" She says, "well, some."
I say, "what did she ask you to do?" She says "stuff."
I say, "what kind of stuff?" She says "I don't know."
I say, "c'mon." She says "cleaning stuff."
I say "what kind of cleaning stuff?" She says "I don't know."
She says "I can't remember what mom wants me to do." I give her the dad look.
She says again, this time with feeling "I can't remember." The dad look continues.
Suddenly she has a bright idea and says "Since you are here why don't you help me." Notice how she deftly redirects the conversation here.
I say, "I thought you couldn't remember what mom wanted you to do."
She says "I've got a list." And procedes to walk straight to it.
I stare at her with that uncomprehending, helpless dad stare. A minute
ago when she was the one having to do the work, she hadn't a clue what
needed to be done. But when it became apparent that she had a sucker dad, who might do her work for her, she could immediately produce a list of things needing to be done.
Then she walks over, hands me the list and says "pick two." I look for a wall to bang my head against.
Much more was happening here than just a discussion of house cleaning. My daughter was demonstrating that she has crossed a threshhold - she is indeed becoming a woman. Women have this remarkable creative instinct when it comes to creating work for their men. Of course I suppose I should admit that we men have a remarkable creative instinct when it comes to avoiding work - we're all Dagwood Bumstead's at heart. But hey, we're picking on the ladies here, not the men.
The question is - is it nature or nurture? Are women born with this ability, is it indeed "instinct?" Or do mother's train their daughters in these skills?
And oh yes by the way - I did end up blowing the grass off the porch, driveway and sidewalk today at lunch.
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