I tried to keep it light and fun...it was a "Fun Family Activity" to do before bedtime, not a "meeting."
I also made the mistake of warning Mark about it ahead of time. Yes, on this issue he was about as cooperative as the boys were.*
After everyone had gathered with their requested materials, I posed a simple question.
"How many hats does one person need?" You would think a simple question would receive a simple answer, right?
Wrong. "Well, we need one for doing farm chores." "And a play hat." "And one or two to choose from for nicer occasions." "What about a summer hat and a winter hat?" "Well I need this one because I like it." The answers, from the males in this household (all three of them!), came fast and furious and very un-simple.
I tried rephrasing..."How many hats does one person NEED?"
Maybe I am overreacting. Maybe this is a completely normal state of affairs in everyone's home, and they just never choose to blog about it (go figure!). Maybe I'm being too strict.
But if you're the one who is ultimately responsible for both the tidiness of the entryway AND for the rate of speed in which everyone can get out the door, you must draw the line somewhere.
And I drew it here. One family doesn not need to to have in its possession NO LESS THAN 35 HATS.
Check it out...I kid you not. 35 hats. And the hats with ear flaps that can fold down in winter were excluded.
To the girls' credit, we each had only 4 hats. Which left 8 or 9 hats to each of the guys.
I tried valiantly to whittle it down to just 3-4 hats/person. But the list of needs came out as:
1 for farm chores
1 for play
1 for summer to spray bug spray on
1 regular hat
1 nice hat
As they made their choices, they were sure to put them on quick before I took off with them! Ironically enough, the hats they were choosing to get rid of were some of the ones that I wanted them to keep! It was sure a lesson in something, but I'm not sure what...
Sadly, out of 35+ hats, these are the only ones that got weeded out. But, I think it's all about baby steps, and that NEXT time we do this, things might go a little more smoothly.
Here's the kids hat rack at the end of our Family Meeting. 3 kids. 14 hats. Sadly, I think I will still hear, as we try to rush out the door, "But I can't find that hat..." Grrrr! :)
Mark, I only add this last tidbit out of appreciation for your sense of humor and charm. Promise.
*But you all must know that Mark tried to hide some hats by the downstairs door "since I never seem to have one when I go out that way." Like I said, I shouldn't have warned him! Can I just say this man keeps me smiling? He does, he does! :)
Please do tell me if I'm over reacting and that this a perfectly normal state of affairs for every family. It may be just a guy thing. How many hats are at your house?
7 comments:
OK, that is a lot of hats. I had to check the entryway and count hats, but not all our hats are here presently and that is sad, for neither is the head that goes in them! But I have indeed thought the very same question about the categorizing of such so many hats but never verbalized such question; you are brave woman. There are yes, many hats even in such household with only one male species. hmmmm.....
our hats are in the utility room on the top shelf mostly. he started collecting caps when he worked and people would give him a company one. He only wears a few but to get rid of them. Never! Maybe I can sneak the sweat stained ones out one at a time. I think I have one visor, one cap and one straw hat.
We don't have that many hats in the house, BUT the male in the house (who shall remain nameless) feels that every minor protrusion in the house is a hat hook. The lovely wrought iron lamp, the curtain rod, the stair well post, etc. Yes, it's not about the quantity in my house, but WHERE they get hung!!
So glad to see I am not alone in hat troubles! :)
As you know, we Sadlers are often given hats by reps for various companies we deal w/ on the slope. and there is my collection of Denver Bronco hats. the 2 of us are sporting 30 hats-5 of which are extras to give away (we now know who NOT to give them to:)) we neatly hang them through their back holes on the clothes hangar rod in the closet. it compresses them but still allows one to see what is what. maybe a dowel rod at child height may help. check out our closet next time you visit.
Wait! Isn't that black one on the discard table the one I picked up at the fair??
Go for it, Wendy. Not to discourage you, but as I recall we still had hats that belonged to Tom years after he was married!
I personally have at least 6 hats that I can think of, and that's not counting my "winter" ones, which would bring my total up to at least 8. And I get a new one every time Mike comes home! lol.
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