I’m Your Mother, Not Your Maid

“I’m your mother.” What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear this phrase? Joy, satisfaction and happiness, or sacrifices and despair? The arrival of your child is probably the most important moment in your life and best described with the word “happiness”. Despite this, a big question comes up with all the problems in the home: Am I a mother or am I a maid?

Who should take on the burden of household chores? Does the mother have to be a maid? Is it possible to get the children to help around the house when they find it too difficult to take care of their own tasks? And the most important question is: How does this affect my child in adulthood?

I’m your mother, not your maid

In most homes, especially in the western world, it is a bad habit for children to just receive and not give anything back. This causes a major problem in adulthood. It makes them mistakenly believe that mom will be their personal maid.

We may think that this is just a problem that has to do with education. Therefore, we naively believe that it will be resolved without further setbacks in adulthood. What is certain is that first you must have a clear concept where you are a mother and not a maid.

Then you need to make it clear to your child: I am your mother, not your maid.

Can it affect your child’s later development? Will he have a distorted view of adult women? Will you see benefits if you address it immediately? It will no doubt depend on how much importance you attach to the issue. How much you are willing to create an environment for cooperation and mutual help in your home.

What can you do to avoid becoming a “maid”?

You must act without delay. This is the only remedy you can do right after identifying the problem, or even before it occurs. You first get rid of this idea from your own mind. This is before you can achieve your goal so that your child does not see you as a maid or super mom who does not need help from anyone.

Start by giving information to your children when they are young

Experts recommend that you start at the age of two or even younger. For example, children can pick up their toys, pick up what they have thrown on the floor or take their clothes to the laundry basket.

Distribute age-appropriate tasks in a logical way. For example, making the bed, running a washing machine or even cooking. Make sure it is tasks they can do safely. Always resist the temptation to complete the task for them because they feel tired or because they do not do it the way you would.

The goal is not for your child to do the task in the same way as an adult. The goal is to help him change his mind that you are the maid who does everything at home. Your child must understand from an early age the effort that each task requires. This is to be able to appreciate the work and thus become a responsible adult.

Help your child see the importance of helping others

When tasks are assigned to children in the home, they begin to put the needs of others before their own. This means that they naturally help others and develop into a generous and responsible adult.

In this way, you can achieve your coveted goal: that your child should have a clear perspective on adulthood and not believe that everyone will be at his service, including you mother!

So if you want to be a happy mother and raise a mature and responsible child, you need to teach your child from an early age to understand that they have a responsibility of their own at home. Then you never have to say, “I’m your mother, not your maid.”