• Home
  • As seen on …
    • Advocacy Work
  • About the writer
  • Contact Me
  • Portfolio
  • Get Involved
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Kathryn Mayer • Writing Out Loud

I write stuff down. writer • humorist • activist

Dirty Job but Someone’s Got to Do It

November 7, 2008 by Kate Mayer 2 Comments

laundryOne evening, (okay, perhaps more than just one) after dinner when the kids neglected, yet again, to clear the table, I lost it.

“What’s your deal?” I yelled at no one in particular. Ranting and raving I went off on the deal we had, Dad and I cook, they set and clear. Simple, right? Yet they didn’t follow through, again, so I explained how I ask them to do a job and they can’t seem to get it done, what’s the deal with them, blah blah blah.

Number 1, in fifth grade at the time, calmly said, “But Mom, what’s your deal? I mean, we have to do all this, but what’s your deal?

“What do you do all day?”

She meant it. She wasn’t angry; she was befuddled. Perplexed on the audacity of her mom asking four children to set and clear the table when I clearly was doing plenty of nothing all day long. Reminder: when #1 was in fifth grade, there were 3 more under her. Age at confrontation: 11, 9, 7 and 4… or something like that, I forget.

She really had no idea. So I told her in one word.

Laundry.

That’s what I do all day long. Laundry. But not anymore.

Since then, she’s done her own laundry. In our house, in fifth grade, about 10 years old, you can get your ears pierced and you do your own laundry. A rite of passage of sorts. Now I’ve got 3 out of 4 doing (or not doing) their own laundry. It’s a beautiful thing.

There’s plenty of rifling through drawers searching for something clean. There’s theft of underwear practically every day. And there’s some nasty-ass under-armour that I swear to god is alive. Sometimes there are tears, but not so much anymore. Their rooms often smell, especially during field hockey and soccer seasons. But it’s their clothes, their smell and their rooms.

They’ve never asked again what I do all day. Partly because they’re older and get it, and partly because they’re scared. And I’m okay with that. 


Do Your Job
One Less

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    November 15, 2008 at 9:52 pm

    I remember how it was for my family.. tall enough to reach over the washer, tall enough to do your own laundry… Same thing for ironing too!

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    November 16, 2008 at 3:16 am

    When my oldest of 5 brothers was even away @ college he was plenty old enough to do his own laundry but was nice enough to bring it all home for me to was(he was 19, I was 13. Lucky girl (becuse I was the only child w/ ovaries)I got to do all the family laundry. So if your kids think they’ve got it rough try washing 5 sweaty smelly skanky boys clothes. SWEET!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Never Miss A Post!
Enter your email address below to receive updates in your Inbox.
No Spam. Promise.
Rams hubbard
Follow @kathykatemayer Tweets by @kathykatemayer

kathykatemayer

I’m so grateful & happy this sister of mine is c I’m so grateful & happy this sister of mine is celebrating another birthday! Happy birthday @jennifer.mayer.589 — wishing you much success  on the court and off!
Happy birthday plus a day to this grownass amazing Happy birthday plus a day to this grownass amazing woman.Spoiled for sure -- me, not her.  Never her, kid3. (Or him.) Just me, and super glad & grateful for it.•#grownandflown #proudmom #brooklynbrains #brooklynbeauty #offthepayroll #emptynest
Not dead yet. Thankfully. Most days. • #vaccin Not dead yet.Thankfully.Most days.•#vaccinated #mostly #upfromthegraveshearose #yesimeantSHE #sisterpower #missingsandra
Welcome back. Getting the blog back together. See Welcome back.Getting the blog back together. See you soon.•#writing #blogging #storytelling #getit? #willigetsuedforthis #welcomeback #backinthesaddleagain #cnf #essaywriting #wordsmatter #memoir #reallife #funnynotfunny #canyouhearmenow
It’s hard to keep up with the shooting hashtags. It’s hard to keep up with the shooting hashtags.We don't need to live(and die)like this.We really don't.•#guncontrolnow #endgunviolence #guncontrol #backgroundchecks #banweaponsofwar #onlyinamerica
“Who owns that baby?” • #signsofspring #lola “Who owns that baby?”•#signsofspring #lolasnewfriend #ididntstealthisbaby #neighbors #spring #viewfromnewtown #imtheoldladyonthestreet #gottabuyicepops
Can't you smell that smell? I have a really funny Can't you smell that smell?I have a really funny story about growing up and hating this🍀aroma but...now that restrictions are liftedwith white supremacy armed and at the ready,and mass shootings resumed,with Asians in the cross hairs,I'm just not feeling all that festive.•#stpatricksday #cornedbeefandcabbage #irish #homegrownterrorist #whitesupremacyisterrorism #hatecrime #misogyny #endgunviolence #disarmhate #stopasianhate
This woman right here is going places! Congratula This woman right here is going places!Congratulations @bradyanne on passing your exam and aiming high! World is lucky to have you!Hire her!
Bird watching, morning edition. When a squirrel m Bird watching, morning edition.When a squirrel makes an appearance, the dog shakes and quivers like she drank my entire cup of coffee. She can barely believe their audacity and tries to use superhero dog powers to chase them away from the comfort of her perch.•#lola #dogslife #squirrelwatching #birdwatching #bluejaysarebullies
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Categories

Lucky Me!

Archives

About Kathryn Mayer

Kathryn Mayer

An irreverent storyteller with a foul mouth and big heart, Kathryn Mayer (aka Kathy and/or Kate) is a writer, humorist, and activist writing out loud with humor and grace about little life moments with big ripples, including the space between parenting and aging parents, social issues, angsty reflections of midlife, and, sigh, gun humpers. Still. Sometimes a big deal, sometimes not Mayer is a national award-winning columnist, according to the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, and her essays have been recognized as Voice of the Year … Read More Here...

Never Miss A Post!
Enter your email address below to receive updates in your Inbox.
No Spam. Promise.
75 kate[at]kathrynmayer[dot]com
xo Kate
  • Home
  • As seen on …
  • About the writer
  • Contact Me
  • Portfolio
  • Get Involved

Copyright © 2021 Kathryn Mayer Designed By: J9 Designs