Men Aren’t All That Helpful During the Christmas Season

Remembering the past. I was the one who sawed the tree down, loaded it, strapped it down, put it in the stand, slung in the water, affixed it to the wall then Mom and sisters decorated it

I went and chilled out in the backyard, with a bale of straw, making bedding for out German shepherds. Funny thing, our cats were never very interested in the tree or baubles.
 
I well remember the year my husband went into our pasture, cut down a Christmas tree, drug it home, stood it up in our living room. Whereupon, after about an hour, the whole living room began to reek. It was at that point I realized he had drug the tree through cow manure as he brought it home. Down came the tree.
I didn’t find him all that helpful that year.
 
Anyone identify with this?
Entirely. For years I begged him to help me do the darn Christmas cards, "Please, at least address the envelopes for me, please!" "Nope, your handwriting is better than mine." So about 3 years ago, I stopped sending the cards, I just was so tired of it. Last year, it finally dawned on him that I wasn't sending the cards and he went out and bought some expensive cards to send and said he would help me by addressing the envelopes. Welp, guess what. I tried a couple of times asking if he was ready to sit down and do the cards and kept getting, "Don't feel like it; let's do it later." Well, later never came and he finally said to me that he understood--finally--why I dreaded doing it.

"…[T]he [winter] holidays…[are], as my friend Connie says, 'an annual festival put on by women for the enjoyment of men and children.'”
~~from Yeah, No. Not Happening: How I Found Happiness Swearing Off Self-Improvement and Saying F*ck It All—and How You Can Too by Karen Karbo
 
My husband does more of the online research and shopping, travel plans including anything to do with the car, reservations, etc.
He cleans his own spaces. He puts the outside garlands up.
I do pretty much everything else.
 
I guess I must confess to being that kind of husband with cards and decorations :( But then again, I do all the shoveling, and there has been plenty of it. And replaced brakes on our vehicle in freezing outdoor temps when I was still sick. And I pretty much make all the Christmas dinner, so there are some silver linings.
Good for you.
 
I can only speak for myself when I say my husband was always helpful, on holidays and every day. He never hesitated to do whatever needed to be done. We'd go together to cut down the tree and decorate it. I'd dust, and he'd vacuum the house for me. He helped me with setting the table for Christmas dinner and was my sous chef when I was preparing dinner. I could always count on him. We were a team. He was wonderful! 😘
 
In my last relationship she had to train me to do all this stuff. Last Thanksgiving at my Mom’s my sister commented because I did some of the cooking, all the dishes & cleanup. So maybe some of you ladies just don’t know how to train a man!
 
I just have to stick up for my Dad here. :) He put up all the lights on our house, and a tree also. He went to get our Christmas tree, and then helped us put the lights on it. I think the biggest thing my Dad did, was to work as a iron worker 40 hours a week that provided our family with as much as we needed, and our "big" Christmas presents.
( From: Santa...From: Mom and Dad ). He was great. I did the same when my kids were young. We aren't useless! :)
 


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