I recently went on a ‘mommy strike’ and have been sharing my experiences about it in a ‘logbook’ type fashion on Facebook. Much to my surprise, the response has been overwhelming and I have been asked to share it more publicly. So here it is…my very own blog. I must admit I am very proud of myself for figuring this out. It seems I have waaaay more time on my hands now that I am not a full time maid. Yeah me! I will simply transfer the posts from my facebook to here and then update my musings in this medium.
Please feel free to share:) I have a feeling I am not the only crazy working mother out there!!
Enjoy!
Jess
Genius and I really do agree with you, although you may have been joking, you must write and make some money doing it. Take your work experience , life experience and mom experience and throw it back to us.
ReplyDeleteI've read a million things by people that should be interesting but feel flat. You have the perfect combination of wit and reality.
Write about working and raising kids, write about all the awful things that you have to laugh through in order to not throw your kids out the window. Try something different, 7 days of doing whatever it is you choose and give us the play by play. I think if you jump into this now it could really catch on, you're going to have tons of traffic on the site, I'd love to hear more from you!
Dandy, Thank you so much for the compliments on my writing:) A lot of the attention has been focused on my parenting...the good the bad and the ugly..so I found your focus on my writing truly refreshing. I have felt a bit of pressure about what I am going to write about next and I am going to take your advice:) Stay tuned....
DeleteJ
I have shared your story and photos with my children who also resist helping clean up after themselves. I have often wondered what would happen if my husband and I went on strike. Your pictures showed how bad it would get. Good on you for sticking to your guns and showing your children how important it is to all work together in the home.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny to me that those pictures of my house are being used as an example of how bad it can get! Did it make a difference for you kids? I hope so....maybe learning vicariously will help you not to need to do this...although it is fun:)
DeleteJ
Hi!
ReplyDeleteNice to see I´m not alone with this matter.
Your story was today on tabloid here in Finlad.
I´ve also tried striking at home, but didn´t notice it having a long term benefits and it took a while when they did notice my habbits were changed. More useful has been when I´ve been having crutches with sore foot or something like that ;) so they´v soon realized nothing´s gonna happen without their help.
Good for you!
FINLAND!!! Unreal! We are never alone in this parenting thing!!
DeleteMaybe having crutches (although I am sorry about your sore foot) will be my next idea to see how they can step up!!
J
My mother also made strikes in the 90's at home. Greetings from Finland and Good luck! :)
DeleteLOL - this is so great - I have threatened this for so long but cannot bring myself to live in the tip that will ensue after an hour, presuming that they won't care anyway and I'll have the joy of cleaning it all up in the end (husband and 2 boys!! need I say more?). Also, I gave up wine so long ago due to not being able to cope with them with a fuzzy head the morning after, so wouldn't have a decent escape mechanism in place. Loved reading it - keep blogging and keep us laughing - you're a star!
ReplyDeleteAhhhh, two boys! Enough said. I have wondered how this would play out if I had sons...if you ever do go on strike, will you please let me know how it goes. Mind you...after seeing what the basement trolls could do in a week...I feel afraid for you!! Especially with no wine!!
DeleteJ
You are my hero!!!!
ReplyDeleteAwww shucks, I'm blushing. Its comments like yours that give me my mommy cape:)
DeleteJ
The best writing I've seen in a year at least, thanks for the genuine, belly aching, tears streaming, need a tissue laughter that ensued from reading your story. You ROCK!
ReplyDeleteI snort when I laugh as hard as you described. Sometimes it's embarrassing...but I've learned to live with it. It's better than when I pee my pants.
DeleteThank you for the compliments..it means a lot to me:)
J
I am from Holland and read your blog laughing out loud! It's so funny and well written!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the funniest experiment i've heard of in a long time!
HOLLAND!!! Wow! I'm glad I could make you laugh..we all need it for perspective don't we? I think I need to think of another fun mommy experiment just for the laughter:)
DeleteJ
I just have to ask this: how do your daughters feel about being immortalized as "those little brats whose mom had to go on strike for six days to make them clean up their mess?"
ReplyDeleteThis blog and all the media attention you've received will never go away; your daughters will be hated by some for simply being kids. My daughter has refused to clean up after herself (It's called being a kid,) but we simply laid down the law - as parents are supposed to - and she learned an invaluable lesson.
What have your daughters learned? Bad parenting leads to international stardom?
I'm sure you love your kids and you're a decent mom, but I hope you're prepared to hear from people who suspect that this whole situation was a set-up.
Some people struggle for years to gain attention in their respective fields and all you had to do was let your kids run wild and you've become a star.
I apologize for my tone, but I'm just concerned that this situation is going to get away from you. Stardom and an inevitable book deal aren't worth damaging your kids forever.
omg - you do have problems with this, don't you...
Delete"Stardom and an inevitable book deal aren't worth damaging your kids forever."...
omg... "Damaged for EVER"... mmmwhaahaha....
D A M A G E D ... BAD, BAD, BAD mummy! Bad!
"Some people", I guess that is you, "struggle for years to get attention"... ah, poor thing, noone noticed you... Why not just accept that you don't have the same star quality as this mom do! - and then go on with your little life - eh, yeah, excuse my tone, Youvebeebhooked! :)
Your kids clearly take after Wally (http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2006-12-24/)
DeleteActually, I was thinking how clean the place looks (I've seen houses in the country where people wear gumboots in the kitchen). Love the poo bag idea.
Dear You'vebeenhooked,
DeleteI heard about this blog via the BBC and all the positive feedback too, I found your comments and thought I ought to find your blog where you talk of your wife asking you to cut down on your online writings. I think maybe she may have a point.
Do you think you maybe damaging your kids forever by not spending more time with them and your wife?
Lisa
good for you! My kids are younger, so i can't quite copy you, but well done. heard you on the BBC this morning, and the googled. thought the huff post article was right on the money - you are doing this for them. and you're right.
ReplyDeleteglad you're using you're free time to blog and drink wine :)
THANK YOU!! The blog has been fun...but the red wine has been even better. Keep it in your back pocket for when they are younger and then let me know how it goes!
DeleteJ
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteElle, I read your blog. Brilliant. I bow down to you working with all your little ones and I love your outlook of "bare necessities for survival". I agree...all work and no play does make mommy dull!! At the end of it all what will the little ones remember..a clean house or a happy mommy and family?
ReplyDeleteJ
Tidbit about me...I LOVE WINNING! As soon as the kids were old enough to play a game by the rules ...well let's just say I kick ass at a game of Candy Land or Snakes and Ladders.
ReplyDeleteJ
Hello, I just found you after read about you in an digital paper from my country, Chile. I actually live in Calgary, and is really stressing all this school, sport, dinner thing. I have three kids, 6,2 and 5 month. Hope learn something about your experience. And your great.
ReplyDeleteThis is the link from the digital paper, is in Spanish. But you're international girl. ;0)
http://www.emol.com/tendenciasymujer/Noticias/2012/11/10/23440/Madre-hace-huelga-para-que-sus-hijas-sean-ordenadas-y-lo-logra.aspx
You ROCK woman... Jess I feel for you, I have twins too, age 13 and mess is discusting :(
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Finland :D
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI experienced some myself not to mention it's still going on...
One time, a fridaynight, I came home from work exhausted. As I entered the kitchen in order to cook, I got shocked of the pile of dishes. Dear husband and son were sitting lovingly and happy in the couch watching television whilst mister his workbag and sons schoolbag were laying wide-open in the middle of the floor. Oh sure they were hungry and looking at me as if why I'm standing there just like that.
I started to overview the kitchen, the livingroom, the bathroom, the bedrooms... what a mess!
Closed my eyes, opened my arms wide and everything that passed my firm movement came down on the floor, including fresh washed laundry. Eyes followed my moves as I put back on my jacket and shoes. Surprisingly to them I left... for two full days!
At my arrival I was pleasantly pleased to see, feel and scent a neat home.
So I thought "is that all there is to it? Ha!"
Unfortunately
Meanwhile there are two sons, teenagers and it is worser!
Eventhough I told them that it is not because I am the one that cleans, pick up stuff, do the administration, the cooking etc, that I'm automatically promoted to housekeeper!
I go on strike frequently, certainly the last couple of years
The result is that I clean like once a month although the dirt annoys me.
As years went by I turned to being a single mom
My "little" misters do remind me that before I seemed happier, I laughed more and I was full of energy. I wonder how comes?
At least I can feel the positif side of being divorced. Half of the schoolholidays they spend at their father
and me
yeah I clean
and I relax being happy here is all quiet
and neat!
Your actions are nice and funny but as the children grow up they will not fall for it.
I wish you luck and strenght
greeting from Belgium
Greets all the way from Brazil! You were news here, really good idea the one you had. Hope your girls help you know that you are all famous hahaha just kidding. I hope this experience was good for you and then and now you all work hard. Be happy!
ReplyDeleteBeijos!
I threaten strike every five minutes! Perhaps the mothers of the world need to start a union? Loving your blog - thank you!!!
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