Recently I moved in with my Mum, it seemed like the best idea for me and my finances at the time. Especially since she offered to let me live there rent free. Bonus right? Not so much, it only took 6 weeks to get the “you’re living under my roof, rent free” spiel because I was spending too much time watching TV, my TV, not hers or ours but mine.
And so began my re-acquaintance with the dreaded Parent Logic.
The most recent occurrence of this was earlier in the week when, while at work, I received an email from my Mum about a household chores roster. I thought it was strange because she hadn’t mentioned anything to me when I saw her earlier that morning but sure, whatever. It turns out she was very disappointed that when she went to the toilet that morning there was an empty toilet roll on the holder. The sentence ended in:
“This situation cannot continue!”
So yes, we now have a household chore roster, that she is going to write up (just so we both understand our obligations) because I left an empty toilet roll on the holder, once.
I don’t understand this! Obviously, this isn’t a one off occurrence and it seems like every child in the history of the world has experienced something similar. What is it that happens between being one of the children thinking their parent has gone insane to becoming a parent themselves and doing the exact same things?
No, I’m not a parent and honestly, these types of incidents are just batshit crazy to me. I can’t imagine myself doing it, although I assume every non parent thinks that, until it happens. I really feel like I’ve dodged some sort of stupidity inducing bullet by not wanting kids.
I’m hoping someone out there will enlighten me as to why Parent Logic occurs and if you’re someone that is guilty of doing it yourself, what were you thinking when those words that made no sense came out of your mouth?
5 responses to “The return of Parent Logic”
I guess I can understand in some way that parents want us to help out on different ways, but I think they forget that we are adults as well, not the children of yesterday, maybe. It would have been better if she talked to you about it first, not just a random email. :/
Haha! I love this post – I literally just had an argument like this with my mum. I live at home rent-free too whilst I’m at uni, and we have a “deal” that I help out around the house more than my siblings. So the other night it came to the washing up and whose turn it was – my sister automatically turned to me and went “well it’s not like you do anything else, is it?” Ohh I went crazy. And my mum was on her side, despite all the chores I actually do. Ugh.
I’m with you, I don’t get how you go from being on the receiving end and finding it all totally ridiculous, to becoming a parent and doing it yourself. Maybe they just think “well, I had to put up with it – revenge time!”
…wow. -.- You’ve a job, your own stuff… what’s the big deal?!?! To be honest, I don’t understand it at all. I’m sorry I can’t help.
Also, an email?! REALLY?!
I can’t even imagine moving back in with my parents. My mom would drive me insane making me do all the housework on her time. I don’t mind doing housework, but I will do it when I’m ready, not the second she wants it done. However, I can understand your mother’s pain. Having lived with roommates, I can understand getting mad over someone not changing the toilet paper roll. It drives me crazy when my roommate leaves it empty.
I’m on the same boat as you – I just don’t get it. I don’t ever plan to have kids either just in case I get hit by this strange occurrence. (x I’m thinking it’s because once we get older, our parents are having trouble figuring out how to communicate with us/order us around… or it’s possible they’ve always been this way and we notice the strangeness of it now ’cause we’re older.