For as long as I can remember, I have wondered if what I think and how I act is normal to others. I think it stems from being the youngest out of a very different/unique set of siblings. We all do things so differently and that difference between us is intriguing.
But what about customs, etiquette, and traditions? Every time my mom comes to visit she insists on doing the dishes after I cook. Yeah, I get it, it is the polite thing to offer and I know she is trying to help. But for the last 10 years, I have been kindly asking her to step out of my kitchen. And most often her feelings are hurt and she spends unnecessary time questioning why I believe she is inadequate in the kitchen. Every time she comes to visit, we have the same discussion.
So I pose the question, is it just me who doesn't like other people doing my dishes? My reasons are as follows:
1. We have never had a dishwasher (we have one now, but you still have to more or less wash them before they go in - it is basically only used for sanitization). So doing the dishes by hand takes some practice. And when people are out of that practice it takes them twice as long. Which makes me feel like time could have been spent doing something together.
2. And I hate making the dishes a group effort - too much arguing over who did what as a kid. It is not that big of a deal, one person can handle it.
3. When someone needs to ask you a million questions about where things go and how, why not just do it yourself?
4. I would rather have my parents play with my kids. Sometimes doing the dishes is like getting a little mini-vacation from the chaos.
5. I don't actually do the dishes, Tyler has always done them because he likes things done a certain way. And get this, he will just redo them once people go to bed anyway.
Is this a generational thing? Were our parents told it was so rude to not help with dishes that the guilt of not helping keeps them up at night? Really, it is all so silly. Why is the conversation of dishes such a sore point? Maybe by refusing my request the tables turn and the rude thing becomes the offer to do the dishes. Huzzah!
I don't know, this is all just a bunch of nonsense. But please do tell me what you think, is it just me?
P.S. my mom got the kids each a subscription to highlights for Christmas. Did you know that they make a baby addition? Isn't that the cutest thing ever.
