I've Got a Beef
This is not meant to be a slam against Stay at Home Moms, in fact I envy you and wish that I were one of you. I want to get that out of the way before I start my rant, because this is no way directed at you hard-working women, but I am pissed beyond belief.
I think that it’s important for kids to do something other than stay home, play with toys and/or veg in front of the television. I think it would be wonderful if I could take my daughter to story time, or to see a puppet show, or give her dance lessons or swim lessons or whatever her little heart desires; I would love to do all of this without having to sacrifice a Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon when typically I’m already running around with a list in hand of three thousand things that I need to get done before Monday morning. I am sure that I’m not the only dual-income two-working parent family that feels this way.
So why is it that I can’t find a damn blasted class for her that isn’t on the weekends that doesn’t start in the middle of the damn day! Yay, great SAHMs can take their kids out to play gym and dance and karate, but us who either a) make the choice to work or b) are forced to work in order to pay bills and you know, EAT have to contend with meager (if any at all) weekend offerings or scenarios that would involve me scooping The Princess up from daycare, racing down the road to dump her into a class sans dinner where she will be cranky and uncooperative and will not be any fun for either of us. Because, really, realistically the work day is 8AM - 5PM. Starting toddler and preschool classes at 5:30 only makes sense on worlds where people are in possession of time turners or some other time travel technology - not in the real world. Where we live. Because if I get off of work at 5:00 and it takes me 30 minutes to get to the place where my kid is stashed (daycare, babysitter, grandma, the ex-husband who works third shift just so he can have contact with the kid during the week), then I probably can’t make a 5:30PM class. And let’s not even talk about those 4:30 and 4:45 start times.
What on earth is wrong with you people who organize and offer these things? Do you only want to take money from single income families? Do you think that only families who "care" enough for Mom to "do the right thing" and "stay home and raise the family" have any interest in the development and emotional well-being of their children? Do you somehow falsely believe that only single income families can afford your programs?
WRONG!!!!
WRONG!!!!
WRONG!!!!
WRONG!!!!
Grr. I am spitting nails right now, can anyone tell that? I am so annoyed that I just want to grab the program directors at the YMCA, at the martial arts centers, at the dance studios and shake them until their brains rattle and pour out of their ears! Just because I work 40 hours a week does not mean that I don’t want my child involved in extra-curriculars. And no, I can’t just finagle a schedule with my boss, yadda yadda, because again, we live in the real world and changing your work schedule just to take your kid to ballet isn’t exactly the height of professionalism … and in some cases, it just ain’t feasible. Because you know, I don’t sit at work scratching my butt all day; I’m here to do a job and if I’m not here, then it’s not getting done. So, yeah, thanks.
There, I’m done. It hasn’t solved anything and I don’t feel better. But maybe by some fluke some addle brained blurry visioned stuck in the 50’s family mentality program director will see this and have his (or her) eyes opened.
Because yeah, dual income families, guess what? We care too!
I think that it’s important for kids to do something other than stay home, play with toys and/or veg in front of the television. I think it would be wonderful if I could take my daughter to story time, or to see a puppet show, or give her dance lessons or swim lessons or whatever her little heart desires; I would love to do all of this without having to sacrifice a Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon when typically I’m already running around with a list in hand of three thousand things that I need to get done before Monday morning. I am sure that I’m not the only dual-income two-working parent family that feels this way.
So why is it that I can’t find a damn blasted class for her that isn’t on the weekends that doesn’t start in the middle of the damn day! Yay, great SAHMs can take their kids out to play gym and dance and karate, but us who either a) make the choice to work or b) are forced to work in order to pay bills and you know, EAT have to contend with meager (if any at all) weekend offerings or scenarios that would involve me scooping The Princess up from daycare, racing down the road to dump her into a class sans dinner where she will be cranky and uncooperative and will not be any fun for either of us. Because, really, realistically the work day is 8AM - 5PM. Starting toddler and preschool classes at 5:30 only makes sense on worlds where people are in possession of time turners or some other time travel technology - not in the real world. Where we live. Because if I get off of work at 5:00 and it takes me 30 minutes to get to the place where my kid is stashed (daycare, babysitter, grandma, the ex-husband who works third shift just so he can have contact with the kid during the week), then I probably can’t make a 5:30PM class. And let’s not even talk about those 4:30 and 4:45 start times.
What on earth is wrong with you people who organize and offer these things? Do you only want to take money from single income families? Do you think that only families who "care" enough for Mom to "do the right thing" and "stay home and raise the family" have any interest in the development and emotional well-being of their children? Do you somehow falsely believe that only single income families can afford your programs?
WRONG!!!!
WRONG!!!!
WRONG!!!!
WRONG!!!!
Grr. I am spitting nails right now, can anyone tell that? I am so annoyed that I just want to grab the program directors at the YMCA, at the martial arts centers, at the dance studios and shake them until their brains rattle and pour out of their ears! Just because I work 40 hours a week does not mean that I don’t want my child involved in extra-curriculars. And no, I can’t just finagle a schedule with my boss, yadda yadda, because again, we live in the real world and changing your work schedule just to take your kid to ballet isn’t exactly the height of professionalism … and in some cases, it just ain’t feasible. Because you know, I don’t sit at work scratching my butt all day; I’m here to do a job and if I’m not here, then it’s not getting done. So, yeah, thanks.
There, I’m done. It hasn’t solved anything and I don’t feel better. But maybe by some fluke some addle brained blurry visioned stuck in the 50’s family mentality program director will see this and have his (or her) eyes opened.
Because yeah, dual income families, guess what? We care too!