Stereotypes

I have written and deleted two other posts trying to make sense of my thoughts. Here it is...I hope. I don't like the stereotypes that people put on people. There- that's it.

I don't like that women are "supposed to" be serving dinner and the newspaper to their husbands when they walk in the door at 5pm. I don't like that men are "supposed to" handle the finances, because a woman shouldn't have to worry about that.

I don't like the stereotypes that go on with women and men today. I think it stinks.

Now let me just tell you, I make my husband dinner every night- but not because he expected me to- it took nearly six years before I started doing it. And he never complained once.

I am an accountant, why would my husband who is horrible with numbers and has had no good example from life do the finances?

Why do these "stigmas" have to be put on each other? Why can't it be whatever works for a family? Changing diapers is not the woman's job, just as much as snow-shoveling is not the man's job.

My husband works 2 jobs- therefore, I do all the yard work....a man's job? When we first got married, we agreed, "I will take care of the inside of the house and he takes care of the outside." As some of you know- plans don't always go as planned. I take care of the inside and the outside of the house.

We never made agreements on what would happen as far as the children go- we are both 50% parent...meaning the workload should be equal. My husband would gladly stay home with the kids, but I want to. But when he comes home, although he is tired from a long day....so am I...and therefore we begin to work together.

This is my point- working together. My husband loves to cook- he finds it very relaxing, so if I can't think of anything to cook or just really don't want to, he picks up the slack, or we even do it together. But if he is working on a lesson he has to teach for one of his jobs or counseling someone then I will pick up the slack.

Why can't more people think like that? Why do we have to have Bible studies based on the 50's golden age of religion where men were more important then women? No place in the Bible does it say men are more important....help-meet means a "helpful partner."

I Peter 3:7-Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
Did you know that weaker vessel means....ready?.....more delicate. Wow, I am not weaker, but I am more delicate and it doesn't mean emotionally, either....although most of the time we are. It does not mean women should be treated like less of a person and be expected to live up to the culture's standards, and vice-versa for men. Although the media is trying to make men look like a bunch of idiots in nearly every commercial and sitcom- they really do deserve respect. They, like us, do a heck of a lot and if we want respect, then they do too, especially since that is what men have been surveyed to want the most from a woman.

I guess that is it, I just don't like the stigmas that are put on us as women and men. We should be who we are, even if a man likes to cook (see Food Network) and a woman likes to mow the lawn. If you have a mate that loves you, you can work together and everything will get done.