I’ve been seeing this post about a daughter’s questions about her mom’s makeup in my news feed recently, and it’s made me think. Christine Burke describes how her daughter’s simple question made her see herself through a 7 year-old’s eyes and examine why she spent so much time and effort contouring, highlighting, plucking, cleansing, and otherwise enhancing her looks.
Does wearing makeup make me a bad feminist?
“I would NEVER…”
Of all the phrases I wish we parents…heck, people in general…would stop using, this one tops the list.
Back in the day, when I worked for Children’s Aid, I heard this from clients all the time: “You don’t get it because you don’t have kids. You haven’t been in my shoes. You can’t possibly understand. How can you tell me what to do?” SO annoying, amiright?”
I would nod sympathetically and patiently explain yet again that I completely understood their misgivings, but although I might not have children of my own, I had a lot of experience and training, not to mention a university degree in child development and specialized training in child welfare and assessment.
If I had a time machine, I would go back and apologize to all those clients and give the smug little university grad I was a smack upside the head because I Just. Didn’t. Get. It.
Pickles Family Meeting Regarding Equitable Distribution of Chocolates
February 1, 2014
Present: Kid1, Kid2, Mommy, Daddy
Regrets: None
Kid1 called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM.
Kid1 explained that he had called a family meeting to address the issue of Mommy eating more than 11 After Eight chocolates.
Kid1 stated that he feels it is important that we share treats and one person doesn’t eat all of them.
Mommy asked if this applies to Fortnam&Mason apple & custard hard candies as well because when Kid2 was told yesterday that she could only have her apple slices for snack, she sneaked into the cupboard and served herself a bowl of candies and ate them all.
Kid2 countered that she did not in fact eat them all because she could not fit the remainder in her mouth when Mommy came to take them away and that was mean.
Daddy giggled helplessly and unhelpfully.
Kid1 proposed that we require the sharing of chocolates equally and introduce a rule that chocolates only be eaten one at a time.
Mommy clarified that she had in fact eaten the chocolates one at a time, just in rapid succession.
Daddy asked if this directive would apply solely to chocolate or to other candies and/or treats.
Kid1 clarified that he intended the directive to include all candies and/or treats.
Kid1 proposed a vote by secret ballot and handed out ballots which, adding insult to injury, he then collected in the empty After Eight box.
Moved by Kid1 and seconded by Daddy that all candies and/or treats be shared in a fair and equitable manner and not consumed in disproportionate numbers by one person. Carried.
Mommy offered a formal apology: “I’m very sorry I ate so many.”
Kid2 offered no further comment regarding the hard candies.
Meeting adjourned at 6:20 PM.
Unmistakable evidence of Kid2’s candy-eating transgression.
Scrutineer tallying the results of the vote.