Spoiled Brats

A family member called my husband yesterday to tell him about the tirade he went on during his Priesthood meeting on Sunday. This particular relative was born without an inner-censor and regularly says exactly what he's thinking before he thinks about whether it's actually appropriate to say at that exact moment (it's what we love about him). Keeping that and the fact that I'm hearing this second hand through my husband in mind, here's the basics of his rant. I thought it was interesting and perhaps even applicable but at the very least could start an interesting conversation.

On Sunday he was sitting through yet another lecture from a leader about how men should validate their wives. (It seems the men get this lecture often. Some probably even need it and heaven knows we like to be validated.) However, on this day, during this lecture this relative had had enough. He interrupted to say and I quote that "Mormon women are spoiled brats". (Now, I'm paraphrasing) He claims that we don't realize just how good we have it. He pointed out one brother who was holding his baby and another man had just left the room to change his baby's diaper. He quoted his mother who comments regularly when she sees men take care of their babies at church that women now days are so lucky to have husbands who are willing to help out with their babies. (Her husband NEVER changed a single diaper for even one of their seven children. From what I understand, he'd start gagging. Nice.)

Relative went on to say that now days a woman hands over their kids as soon as her tired husband gets home from work, hands them a honey-do list with things from A to Z, and then heads out to book club, Zumba, or Time-Out-For-Women. The man (in his version) takes care of the kids and completes the list with the exception of N. The wife comes home and all she can do is complain that he didn't finish N.

Even the glares from the Priesthood leader giving the lesson didn't deter the relative and he continued. In his line of business he works regularly with people in the world. He says he listens to the men talk about women and even their wives. Apparently, we would be shocked, appalled, disgusted. So, he concludes that Mormon women along the Wasatch Front do not realize how good we have it and that we are big baby whiners when we complain that our husbands need to validate us more. Essentially, we are spoiled brats.

Hmmmm. Something to think about. Maybe.