To think I and other people with commitments should get a medal

[GrrrrrreeeNotgreatactually]

Kids have an inset day and their dad is home and so for the first time (possibly ever) I am getting ready for work without having to get them ready for school, nursery, holiday club.
I'm actually bored. It's not time to leave yet. I'm dressed. I've even done a bit around the house. It makes me think of how easy this is, even for a serial procrastinator like me. So know I'm wondering about all my child free colleagues who roll their eyes when I come in frazzled, frizzy, five minutes late (I also stay late) and sometimes with someone else's toothpaste on me. Do they have any idea how easy it is to get yourself out of the house for work compared to getting other little two people out the door (who frankly aren't as motivated)? Do they not realise that those of us with kids/ caring responsibilities are not just wilfully blasé but that it's actually really fucking difficult to get somewhere (almost) on time without looking like you've been through tough mudder with an added sticky fingers obstacle?
I could do this every day.

Yanbu
I spent years dragging 4 kids out of bed for school. Lost PE kits, missing ties and blazers, cookery ingredients I wasn't aware of till 10pm last night, rushing off to work, get home clean the kitchen statt making the tea......
Now kids all grown up, work 2 half days a week and guess what ? I'm bored shitless 😍🤣😍🤣

This gives me hope. I can't wait to be bored shitless 😅

It’s all so rude too!
No one knows what is going on in another person’s life.
And then to look down on childfree people!

It’s not anyone else’s fault or problem you went and had kids.
No idea why some parents have to be so angry and condescending to people who don’t, for whatever reason, have kids.
Is it regret and bitterness?

Also, good to read there are at least some reasonable parents out there confusion.

As a person who frequently turns up to work frazzled, frizzy and five minutes late despite having no children or other caring responsibilities I am duly impressed OP!

I totally relate to the Micheal McIntyre chatting about pre children going out the door to post children getting out the door.

OP, you’ve posted on a site with a significant proportion of:

• women who desperately want to have children, and are unable or struggling to conceive;

• women of a certain age/set of circumstances who now need to make ‘the decision’ about whether or not to have children and potentially risk it all (their health, their career, their finances, their independence) for something that may or may not work out as planned;

• women who have decided to remain child free and are now living with that decision, either happily or unhappily (or a bit of both).

So if I were you, I wouldn’t be too surprised that the stereotype of your ‘clueless childfree’ colleagues who ‘just have no idea, do they girls, haw haw’ has rubbed some up the wrong way. It’s the way you’ve written it.

Well you didn’t always have kids so it can’t be that much of a surprise, how was your morning routine before them?

I did most of it as a single parent, when mine were 9 and 6. So glad those days are over and they are now adults.

Rather an unnecessary, unpleasant and bitter response

@WifeMotherWorker Please do explain what was unpleasant, never mind bitter, about my post.

You don't realise how tough it is til you don't have to do it.

@Sonervousimgonnathrowup - it’s not condescension or bitterness. Caring responsibilities are hard and unlike most things in life there is little reprieve from it. Be it children or an adult who needs care. Having children is a choice but it’s not an easy one and people are allowed to moan about it on what is primarily a parenting forum.

Does your husband also arrive late with toothpaste on him? If not perhaps he’s not doing enough with his commitments on a normal morning.

Yep.

Perhaps op should say this was ’light-hearted’ and they didn’t mean to be rude and entitled
If you're so lacking in subtlety that you need an explanation first, there's no hope for you. Perhaps avoiding posting in such a deeply unpleasant manner would help.

@GrrrrrreeeNotgreatactually have a ⭐ on me

Agree 100%, by pretending it’s easy peasy and your home life is no different to that of any of your colleagues you are devaluing the hard work and sacrifice that goes into raising children. Some children are easy, some women have easier lives but let’s not pretend it’s not an enormous, life changing responsibility for everyone because it absolutely is.

I’ve no doubt it’s harder to get three people ready than one, that’s just obvious.

But why all the faux ‘oh my god I can’t believe how much time I have?’ Surely you worked before kids? Surely you’ve experienced it yourself?

Did you spend every day pre kids thinking ‘gosh my life is easy’?

Fwiw in my experience most parents at work manage to get to work on time and in good order (those that don’t were disorganised anyway). A lot of them are part time though, either days wise or starting/finishing at different times.

Moan, yeah.
But to shit on others, not cool.

It really does come off regreting life choices and not taking responsibility of those regrets.

I trust people to be smart enough to know that, specially childfree women, are often call every name under the sun, so to be just one more person to add to that is so sad.

Everyone needs a moan here and now, put there is no need to drag others (speacially from already stigmatized group of people) down.

If op would have let that part out, I would have believe this was ’light-hearted’, but considering she won’t address this, she comes off as mean.

What would the medal say?

Recognition in achievements in receiving jizz?

Yes because that’s all
motherhood amounts to.🙄

Don’t talk before taking a look at your own behaviour.
No need to be awful.

They absolutely do deserve a medal. You are raising tiny humans and working. If you didn't have kids and worked hard at your job you'd get a nice pay rise and a well done for a promotion

🤣🤣🤣

Ooh, get you. Have a 🍩 to go with your medal.
people without kids have commitments too, you know.

I am a single parent and have quite a drive to drop mine at school, then back and then on to work.

and I never ever ever think I deserve a medal or look at colleagues without children and think how easy they have it.

you should use any free time you have for a little bit of time reflecting and some insight work Op - because you are sorely lacking in it

OP said child free colleagues, not women. I think you are looking for maliciousness where none is intended. I don’t know your situation but not everyone moaning about children or other peoples attitudes to having children is a personal attack on you.

Sure are enjoying sticking the boot into the OP though aren’t you 🙄