Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Whistleblower

We were all in the car yesterday heading to a Labor Day picnic and the V-meister was chattering about What She Wants to Be When She Grows Up. She's enamored of the P-Dawg lately and alternates between wanting to be a doctor or a veterinarian.

She could not have been more impressed on the handful of occasions when he's taken her to the office or the hospital, where the V-meister was allowed to color in the physician's lounge and granted unlimited access to cookies and PBSkids.org at the nurses' station while her father finished up rounds. (I was home eating bonbons and watching The View, of course)

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V-meister: "When I grow up, I'm going to be a veterinarian and I will take my children with me to work."

Me: "That sounds excellent!"

(pause)

V-meister: "Mama, I really want YOU to be something when you grow up, too!"

(!)

also:

(Crap!)

P-Dawg: "Mama is something. But she's taking a little break from it now to help you and your brother grow up."

V-Meister: "Well . . . what is she?"

Me: "I'm sitting right here, you guys."

P-Dawg: "She's . . . a writer!"

V-Meister, skeptical: "Does she still know how to write?"

Me: "YES! YES, I DO!" (Probably. Maybe.)

V-Meister, unconvinced: "Well. That's good."

*****************************************************************************
Ouch.

You know what? I wasn't really stung by the fact that my daughter does not yet (will she ever?) recognize mothering as valuable work, but rather because dammit! I still want to BE SOMETHING when I grow up.


"This is total bull$hit."

10 comments:

When a Problem Comes Along, You Must Whippet... said...

You are still a WRITER!!!!

Unknown said...

My husband has convinced our daughter that I am an artist, which I guess is sort of true. Now "artist" is usually Violet's occupation of choice. Won't she be delighted when she discovers that butt wiping and laundry are not part of the usual job description for artists.

Oh, and you are totally a writer.

Becca said...

Ouch! She'll get it one day.

And you are a great writer! I so look forward to your posts!

Skiplovey said...

Yikes, that hurts. You should ask her if she'd prefer for you to be gone all hours of the day? Maybe she'd like it if a babysitter picked her up from school? That she saw you for an hour or two in the evenings and mornings? Being a mom totally IS a thing. And doing something on top of that, is pretty awesome too.
But I bet if you asked her if she preferred someone else baking her cookies, how much she would like that.

AJU5's Mom said...

She will definitely get it one day. And once she gets a little bigger, if she doesn't, give her a list of the skills it takes to be a mom and how much it would cost to have someone else do all of your normal chores. It can be very eye opening!

Magpie said...

Hey, I don't know what I want to be when I grow up...

Heather said...

My daughter tells me she wants to be a mom when she grows up...and a doctor and a singer...and...and...

Amy said...

That photo caption is so hilarious!

She'll get it in time - the mom and the writer.

Karen MEG said...

You're a damn good writer at that.

I suspect this is one of the underlying reasons that I gravitated toward getting back out into the workforce (and then, shit, actually getting the job) a year earlier than planned. The girlie has never really seen me as "something", and I think she's ready for it. To be honest, I think the SAHM gig is the toughest job and I'm looking forward to some "alone" time as a reprieve. (I also suck at the June Cleaver thing.)

My son just wants my laptop. And an Xbox 360 for Christmas.


Yup, they love me.

painted maypole said...

a whistle blower is a great career goal! :)