My Place in the Kitchen

This is our kitchen and these are our kids.

Tom is washing dishes, Sam is sweeping, and Karis is putting things away.

I am sitting on the couch typing this post.

Which means, I am not washing dishes, sweeping, or putting things away.

I learned this trick from my very, very wise friend, Susan Moberg, who has equipped her very, very awesome daughters to do all that needs to be done at home.

I've often wondered why more women, me in particular, don't figure this out sooner. That the more chores we outsource to our kids, the less we need to do and the more time we ultimately get to spend with them, or doing other things that bring us life, like typing a blog post, reading a book, visiting with a spouse, or just sitting.

And so I am thankful for this moment, when my kids are learning what it takes to run a home, and I am learning that I am really not that indispensable after all. In fact, I am so replaceable that I don't need to be washing dishes, sweeping, or putting things away and it will get done. Probably not as quickly or the same way as I would do it, but it will get done without my help.

Full disclosure: I do, however, need to referee every now and then. Kitchen work seems to invite fighting, like most other tasks this cast of three characters engages in together. I guess I'm still needed after all, but at least my "place in the kitchen" can be on the couch.