I have come to realise that patriarchal and exploitative practices have been passed down from generation to generation in our society in the name of ‘tradition’. Women have been fed ideas of being an ideal homemaker ever since they were kids. So they do everything around the house irrespective of whether they have other responsibilities (like a job) or have become aged. In many homes, you will find frail grandmothers looking after the household while the other members of the family (especially the men) have no idea about household chores.
Similarly, a guy named Kishore took to Twitter to share a picture of a neatly made bed and shared how his mother, who is more than 70 years old, makes his bed every day. He calls it the “power of a homemaker”.
“My mom ensures that when I reach home, my bed is comfortable. The power of a home maker. There is no compulsion for her to do it. Yet she does it out of love. The value system that our dharma has inculcated protects this society,” he writes.
Have a look at his tweet here:
Though 70+ my mom ensures that when I reach home , my bed is comfortable. The power of a home maker. There is no compulsion for her to do it. Yet she does it out of love. The value system that our dharma has inculcated protects this society. pic.twitter.com/t58Fir5IrT
— kishore k swamy 🇮🇳 (@sansbarrier) July 7, 2023
As his tweet went viral, several people online slammed him for being a “man child”. Many shared how they started making their beds ever since they were kids and have been performing several household chores because that is what grown-ups should do. Here’s a look at some of the reactions:
As a mother of an 18 yr old I’ve taught him to make his own bed & cook his own breakfast since he was 14. I would never want my son to expect / depend on mummy or wife to do his own work in the name of value system
On a separate note it’s good to see a fit & able septuagenarian.— lilcheepcheep (@lilcheepcheep) July 9, 2023
In which universe is your mum making your bed “dharma”? It’s bad enough that she does it but for you to brag about it… wow!
— Ajay Kamath (@ajay43) July 8, 2023
My mom used to slap me if I didn’t make my bed.
— Gautam Trivedi (@KaptanHindustan) July 8, 2023
Just another day on Twitter and another entitled chauvinist manchild feeling proud and calling it "dharma."
No guessing that the bio says he's a proud nationalist with a tricolour. https://t.co/wfv2P2tSEv
— 𝖀𝖕𝖆𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖆 𝕭𝖆𝖓𝖊𝖗𝖏𝖊𝖊 ☀️ (@UpasonaB) July 10, 2023
Mom used to kick my behind even for leaving wet towels anywhere near the bed.. Now, as a grown up I will never let her make my bed or anyone else’s for that matter !!
Have some shame you lowlife https://t.co/7IoPUFCviX
— IIIIIIIIIll (@_NairFYI) July 10, 2023
She does it because of the ingrained cultural misogyny. Using the concept of dharma to justify your senior mom picking up after your man child ass is disgusting 🤮 https://t.co/8dEBSfCYGm
— saங்கmi✨ (@xcsamixvi) July 9, 2023
may God free mothers from the shackles of having useless sons like this and make them realise they are much more than the internalised misogyny society has manipulated them into inheriting. https://t.co/HyX6C7u9FY
— a⁷ ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ (@kookandbooks) July 10, 2023
Her "love" has spoilt you to the point that you are now a manchild that cannot even make his own bed. She does it because she has given up on you and is tired of trying to tell you. Lol. https://t.co/neHVQ6Xabu
— m • depression arc (@msktapess) July 10, 2023
You make your own bed.
What has dharma got to do with it??!The only thing inculcated here is misogyny and sexism https://t.co/Rku7nSCIIb— thvogyu⁷ ᵇʸ ʲᵏ (@yuktaetae) July 9, 2023
Anyone, aged 22 or more, who makes their moms cook for them or clean their rooms should be ashamed of their existence. If you can't cook the meal entirely, at least help with setting the table and cleaning up afterwards. No jobs/degree excuses you for using your moms like that. https://t.co/MQJcwz9M7P
— H. (@_nerdatheart) July 9, 2023
How shameless of you to not make your own bed every morning and then bragging about your 70 yo mother doing it for you. This isn't dharma.. This is borderline harassment /abuse of the elderly https://t.co/Q1Z1PoHTjP
— Bee (@BurgerrB) July 8, 2023
From the outside, it might seem like a mother’s love. But once you dig deep, you will realise that the woman has probably seen and was fed the idea to coddle her son and other male members of the family. So many women have internalised the idea that it is a woman who must do every little thing around the house, from making beds to cooking a meal to cleaning and keeping the house spotless and one can never expect the men to do all these things because after all, it’s a woman’s job.
What “protects our society” is the equal distribution of labour inside the house and the scrapping of stereotypical gender roles.