Leaving the house to drive the boys to school the other day, I mentioned how I wished it wasn't cold and rainy and windy that day since I had a meeting.
"Why do you care? Isn't it inside?"
"Well, some of it is. It's at a college and I'll be walking outside between many buildings and looking at stuff outside."
"Why are you going to a college?"
"Because that's where my meeting is."
"Why do people go to college, anyway," asked Jack.
"That's where they learn to be away from their moms and dads," said Luke.
"That's where they learn the things they need to know to be what they want to be when they grow up," I said.
"Do I have to go to college?" asked Jack.
"No, you don't have to. But it's going to be really hard for you to do the things you want to do without going to college."
"Not everyone goes to college," said Jack. "Some people get a husband and he goes to work and you don't have to go to college to stay home." Here we go.
"I see. Well, I'm sure your wife will be fine if you want to stay home and take care of the kids while she goes to work," I said.
"I think I'll go to college and go to work and my wife can stay home and deal with all the diapers and stuff."
So tell me: was the conversation a success because he decided to go to college, or a failure because he thinks the woman is the one who should stay home?
But I know the truth. It has nothing to do with traditional male/female roles. He is really, really afraid of changing diapers. He doesn't want to get poop on his hands.
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3 comments:
This is really interesting!!
You have to wonder how they form these notions, when parents are so diverse now in how they do things.
I think it's great that he decided college and working were for him, and you are right - he probably just doesn't want diapers to be his job!
The notion that college is where kids go to learn to be away from their parents is incredibly perceptive. My own daughter is having trouble with this very thing, and not learning it to my satisfaction, I might add.
I know the diapers were the worst part of my job! More than once I had wished to be the one out with the out of the house job :)
You need to tell him that poopy hands are the least of it. Having someone vomit in your hair and ears at 3am is infinitely worse.
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