Dodging helping with the dishes
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382329)
Rockingham, Australia
October 16, 2019 8:41am CST
Did you have chores to do when you were young? And were you continually trying to come up with ideas to dodge them? I was thinking about this after reading Simone’s discussion (@Janet357) about her and her siblings’ least favourite chore which was doing the dishes.
I was always able to dodge helping with the washing up if I went and did my piano practise. I would keep one ear open and stop practising the moment I knew the dishes were finished. Sometimes my mother would make me stay there a few minutes more.
I had another trick up my sleeve too. Our farm was 14 miles from a town that had a drive-in. When you turned off the road into the farm, there was a gate which had to be opened and shut. Coming home from the drive-in, I’d pretend to be asleep when we reached the gate so my brother would have to get out and open it.
The photo is of our piano which was manufactured in the late 1890s.
36 people like this
34 responses
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
16 Oct 19
You were a wicked little girl lol!
4 people like this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
16 Oct 19
i like washing the dishes more than cooking
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
16 Oct 19
@marlina i would rather wash clothes and clean the bathroom than iron clothes.
3 people like this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
17 Oct 19
@hereandthere I'll iron everything you own if you'll clean my bathrooms.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382329)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Oct 19
It would be nice to have it restored but they don't actually improve with age although this one holds its tune well.
@Marilynda1225 (91126)
• United States
16 Oct 19
You certainly were sly about dodging your chores. My least favorite chore was ironing when I was growing up. Back in those days we ironed everything including sheets, tablecloths etc. Never easy to do nor was it quick
2 people like this
@marlina (154103)
• Canada
16 Oct 19
@Marilynda1225 , My Mom started me ironing hankerchief and then pillow cases. I hated that.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382329)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Oct 19
Yes, virtually everything was ironed. I don't even do pillowcases if I can get them off the line at the right time and back on the pillows.
@snowy22315 (209044)
• United States
17 Oct 19
A few times I conveniently "forgot" to do assigned chores. One time I got spanked..to help me "remember."
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (209044)
• United States
20 Oct 19
@JudyEv It did at that. I only had about 3 ever and that was one of them!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382329)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Oct 19
@snowy22315 I didn't get whacked too often either but I rarely pushed my luck.
@sweetashoney (3597)
• United States
17 Oct 19
This reminds me of someone grew up around when I was young. I spent a lot of time at my friend's house. We were around 12 or so at the time. It was my friend 's job to help cook and then wash dishes. This was not a small family, her mother had 10 kids and at this time there were 5 or 6 children and her mom and dad. Since I was over there, I would help with the dishes. This went on for a little while with each of us helping. Then one day right when it was time to do the dishes, she had to use the bathroom and I would go a head and clean the kitchen. She did this for around a month, the last time she ever did that, I was ready, as usual she said the same thing and I said ok. When she left, I sat rifgt down at the table and waited for her. Boy you should have seen the look of surprise when she seen unwashed dished, she never tried that again. Years later we both had a good laugh about it.
1 person likes this
@sweetashoney (3597)
• United States
21 Oct 19
@JudyEv Oh yea, she's always tried to get out of doing things, but got to love her. I've now known her for over 50 years.??
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382329)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Oct 19
Good for you. I guess she thought she was pretty clever to come up with such an idea.
@JudyEv (382329)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Oct 19
@sweetashoney Such a long friendship would be very special.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (135881)
• Marion, Ohio
16 Oct 19
You were rotten. All of my chores were outside except keeping my room picked up. As I was with the critters or doing something for them I didnt mind it.
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
17 Oct 19
What a splendid piano! Do you still play? When our two kids were young, I said I had two dishwashers. 
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
20 Oct 19
@JudyEv Yeah, I always said if they didn't have to do the dishes, what else much would they do? Our son loved to let the pots and pans soak for a while.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382329)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Oct 19
@1creekgirl Did he hope that in the meantime someone else might do them?
1 person likes this
@porwest (112864)
• United States
17 Oct 19
To this day I dodge chores. Apparently I have not been able to understand how to operate dishwashers or washing machines, and certainly I have no idea how to make suds in the sink to do the pots and pans. All of this stuff, according to me, alludes me. I am not sure my wife is buying it...but... 
2 people like this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
16 Oct 19
I am shocked.
I never tried to get out of work!
ok, i did. :-)
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382329)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Oct 19
Haha - I don't think there are too many kids who didn't try to dodge at least a few chores.
@marguicha (230349)
• Chile
17 Oct 19
Washing dishes is not one of the tasks I prefer until now. My mother washed them as she did not trust me that I would do it properly. But I had to help her drying them and placing them where they belonged. My sister was too small and my brother did not do a lot of things due to him being a boy.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (230349)
• Chile
20 Oct 19
@JudyEv I want those things to change, but I think that changes have to have a measure
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382329)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Oct 19
Thanks. I don't know what will happen to the piano when we go.
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
17 Oct 19
love, love, love that piano! what a blessin' to still 've such'n great workin' order. i've one out'n the garages that sadly's not been tended's the hubs'd professed he'd do. dry rot 'tis takin' hold i fear. 'tis a shame, dates back to 'bout yers. still's the original keys.
ne'er did any 'f that skirtin' responsibilities, knew 't'd not work anyhow.
1 person likes this
