When you are the cookie baker in the house you get to make the rules, right? Every misshapen cookie goes to the chef. Any cookie that looks like it didn’t cook right goes to the chef. Any cookie that doesn’t fit into the cookie jar goes to the chef. Plus of course the chef needs to taste each batch that comes out of the oven, correct? I mean, it’s not like we are talking hundreds of cookies here, so why, when I just baked several dozen cookies, are there hardly any left??
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I try hard not to demand too much from the boys, especially in the summer where they are supposed to be able to chill out. However, yesterday, as they were getting ready to go to shul for maariv at the end of the fast, I insisted that my son change his shorts for long trousers. There was much eye rolling. Apparently “God doesn’t really care what you wear to shul so long as you show up”. Um. No. I believe it is inherently disrespectful to show up to a place of worship looking like you just stepped off a basketball court. The night before he had ridden his bike for an hour before maariv and I insisted he showered before going – I am apparently a very demanding mom. Seriously, to me, when you go to shul, you must show more respect than when you are just hanging out at home with your friends. It doesn’t make me a hypocrite – it’s not pretending that you are different, it’s just dressing appropriately for the occasion.
While there was eye rolling going on, his friend who was hanging out with him told him that he was going home to change before shul as his mother also doesn’t let him go to shul in shorts. Score one for the mommies.
Demanding? Or justified?
(Hat Tip AGS)
