Dear Son,
Right now you’re in your room, slamming drawers and pouting. You just asked in a demeanor that makes me think your father has been letting you watch too many Avengers cartoons, “why I keep making you so angry”.
And I’ll tell you why, it’s because I want you to grow up to be conscientious . I want you to be the kind of person that other people want to be around. The type that does his part, someone who is self sufficient. The type of person that people don’t complain is an awful roommate in college because he can’t grasp the concept of washing his dishes. The type of person that a woman will want to marry not just because he’s a great guy, but because he doesn’t leave his socks on the living room floor every night.
I get that at 4 you may not think it’s important to put your laundry in the hamper but trust me when you are 28 and newly married this topic will come up frequently if you do not have your shit together. Let me put it this way 70% of the arguments your father and I have involve him not putting his laundry in the hamper, the other 29%, those socks left on the living room floor. You could save yourself 99% of your future spousal arguments by simply dropping your clothes in the right place.
And it’s not just the clothes, which yes, you do need to put in the drawers after I’ve washed them. It’s all the stuff in general. Cleaning up after yourself goes a long way in any relationship. And as your mother I feel this is my lesson to teach you. No one likes the guy who leaves his stuff everywhere, who can’t be bothered to put his dishes in the dishwasher (not the sink, it’s not layover on the way to the dishwasher), nobody wants to spend the rest of their life picking up someone else’s underwear, no one wants to wonder why your mother never taught you how to take care of yourself.
So son, this is why I’m making you so angry about picking up your toys and putting away your clothes. This is why even at 4 I think it’s important that you start learning to do your part around the house. No one wants to live with someone who can’t do their part to keep the house clean, not at 4 and not at 40.
And, honey, trust me someday your future wife will be thankful to have found a kind, caring, funny guy who knows where his dirty socks go.
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