Men Don't Braid, and Other Things

Why do we do it? I was getting started with reading the book Hit the Ground Running, a woman's guide for success in the first hundred days on the job (by Liz Cornish) (great book btw, more on that in later post). However it always makes me mutter when I read the facts on how women spend their hours compared to men. The book references an article published on Forbes.com on the difference in the amount of relax time men and women get. Oh yes, women have a little less relaxation time, like 39 minutes, and urg I believe its the truth based on my experience, and oh yes even less time if you have a husband and kids - like 75 minutes less relaxation.
While divvying up the schedule today I think one only needs to look at activities our kids do to know how we lose time - too many activities my kids do (girls) require them to have neat and tidy hair when it comes to picture day, events, meets, etc. I hate the fact my husband can shrug his shoulders with palms up and plead, '... but I don't do braids' - he wins every time. I'm not the only woman I know who has carefully arranged their schedule to accommodate braids, pigtails, and buns - yes it's probably a dumb thing to prioritize, but society still expects it of little girls at events.

So my own little protest these days is to not make our bed in the morning (sorry, if you thought I was going to say send my daughters to events with a comb and a father, just haven't managed to do that yet to my daughters). I grew up in a home with a fabulous stay-at-home mum, but that did lead to being able to always have a bed made perfectly with puffed pillows. I maintained this standard all through college, through single-woman-hood, through early married life, then through having two kids - but finally after remodel last year, when the kids now have their own rooms and aren't interested in made beds, and neither is my husband - who am I doing it for? So I have learned to walk past unmade beds, to relax as I spy ruffled sheets, and duvet covers on the floor, and get on with my morning. And I've learned not to have a day disrupted by the unmade bed. Before an unmade bed day would usually be a crappy day. It would be a sign of a rushed, distracted morning. Once in a while I lapse into making it before heading out, usually on a day I'm predicting as being crappy and I've decided that's okay, its therapy, but the basic need to live the 'made-bed' life has started to move away from me.


I hope one day to see the world as my husband sees it, and not fidget when odd socks are in view, towels not on rails, open news papers on counters, and shoes in the middle of the floor - I aspire for that view, at least Monday to Friday.