Interesting Conversation

(Disclaimer: No actual Husbands were harmed in the making of this conversation. Although this story is based on a true story, the names of the people involved have been changed for their protection:)


(wife, and stay at mother whose been on the go since 5:10am with a crying/teething baby, stands, cooking dinner at 8pm after a day filled with whining children, cleaning, shopping(not the fun kind), chauffeuring, volunteering, paying bills, working from home, listening to screaming children and dreaming of a bath)

wife: You know, Jane Doe, is going back to work. She's brave.

husband: Oh? She HAS to go back to work already?

wife: No, she WANTS to go back to work. I want to go back to work, but I think my mind wouldn't let me. I'd feel too guilty because I didn't HAVE to...I'd WANT to.

husband: That would be more stressful.

wife: For who?

husband: Well, it would stress me out thinking someone else would be caring for our children. And you too...it would be much more stressful for you to go back to work. You should see the ladies in my office. They have to get up at 5 am, fix lunches, get everybody to school/daycare, go to work all day, come home, cook dinner, baths, clean house etc....it never ends for them.

wife (seriously considering throwing the pan, hot grease included, on top of her husbands head, and biting her lip so hard she can taste copper on her tongue, but just too darn tired to even explain/debate/argue): Yeah, I guess so.

Moral of the story...about 10 minutes of extra sleep separates the Stay-At-Home-Mother from the Work-Outside-The-Home Mother...and that 10 minutes is subject to change. We should both respect each other as equals.