Summary

The author, a 62-year-old woman, expresses frustration with the gender roles in cooking and cleaning, urging mothers to teach their children these skills regardless of gender.

Abstract

The author shares her frustration with the persisting gender roles in cooking and cleaning, where women are expected to do most of the work while men sit on the couch. She recalls a wise person who said that everyone should be in the kitchen if they enjoy eating. The author, at 62, is tired of seeing men being untrained and inept in the kitchen, making the process cumbersome. She suggests starting a school to teach men to cook and clean, emphasizing the value of such graduates as future partners. The author acknowledges that she might be sexist but believes that teaching children all skills, regardless of gender, is essential. She encourages mothers to teach their children all their skills and hopes for a future where everyone believes they have a role to play in the current task at hand.

Opinions

The author believes that everyone should participate in cooking and cleaning if they enjoy eating.
She is frustrated with the persisting gender roles in cooking and cleaning.
The author thinks that men are often untrained and inept in the kitchen, making the process cumbersome.
She suggests starting a school to teach men to cook and clean, emphasizing the value of such graduates as future partners.
The author acknowledges that she might be sexist but believes that teaching children all skills, regardless of gender, is essential.
She encourages mothers to teach their children all their skills.
The author hopes for a future where everyone believes they have a role to play in the current task at hand.

ADVICE

For the Love of Cheerios, Mothers — Teach Your Children Well

A Boomer’s Plea to Young Mothers

One of the wisest people I’ve ever met, once shared publicly in her kitchen — with a full complement of every type of human identifying with being whoever they were being at the time, “Do you like to eat? Then you should cook! Do you like to eat? Then you should wash dishes! Are you a human? Then you should be in the kitchen!”

If I had to look back at the training of my youth and think about what was the most insidious patterning — or you can call it a lesson, a teaching, a hypnotic suggestion, take your pick — that ever got taught to a whole generation, it was this. Women cook and clean, and men sit on the couch, enjoy the fruits of all that labor, rest and recover from the day.

I admit, this is a rant. But I’m just fed up. At 62 years of age, I am super frustrated with STILL seeing men come here to my house and sit around, twiddling their thumbs, unable to figure out how to engage in the process.

Oh sure, I can ask them to help, invite them to participate, but the truth is — they are not trained. They are unqualified, inept, and worse — just a sticky wicket that makes the whole process cumbersome and take way longer than it should.

Maybe I’m just too impatient. But at my age, I have fewer years to wait than you do. Unless you are older than me. But I think if my day of work is not yet done, then your day of work likely isn’t over yet either.

There is a quote, often attributed to a random Navy Seal. It’s often cited. But apparently comes from a Greek lyrical poet, who some believe may also have been a soldier. It’s a constant inspiration to me. Training is everything. Even the Culinary Institute of America’s motto is, “Preparation is Everything.”

“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” — Archilochus

Someone might like to start a school to address this problem. Kind of like a finishing school.

Seriously. This could be the next hot lean startup. Teaching men to cook and clean. How to wash dishes and counters and floors so they sparkle.

Imagine how valuable a future mate those graduates would be! To ANY sex preference!

Am I being sexist? Maybe I’m just tired of the residual from all those years of witnessing this pattern, when I know it doesn’t have to be this way. And I admit, there are women that don’t cook or clean either.

So moms, I implore you. Teach your children all your skills. ALL OF THEM. Don’t hold back.

Your future in-laws across the board will be so grateful.

But more. If our training extends to a place where we actually have this belief that we all have a role to play in the current task at hand, perhaps then, when yet another POC gets shot and killed for having mental illness, or playing with a toy water gun, or just driving or walking in a neighborhood, we will no longer sit around on couches wondering, “What can I do?”

Personally, I love when my sons cook for me. One is an award winning chef. The other is a brilliant business man. Who also cooks and cleans even better than I do.

Is this too much to ask for?

Now who wants to start that school?

Captain Brearley’s School for Humans Who Eat Food.

Writers’ Prompt: Write your rant of the day. What is your current peeve? Spill your guts. But also, make us smile and laugh as you do so.

There’s a grain of truth in every joke.

Susan B. has been ranting successfully with purpose and positive outcomes since the age of 3.