Today I watched Episode 8, “Men Are Messy.” It aired on December 3, 1951.
In this episode, Lucy and Ricky are at odds over Ricky’s messiness, so they divide the apartment into “his” and “hers.” Then Ricky finds out he is going to be featured in a magazine and wants Lucy to clean the entire apartment.
Lucy, in true form, does not like being told what to do—or being expected to play the role of the good little housekeeper—so she makes the apartment even more of a mess! She thinks the feature is for a small musicians’ magazine, but it is actually for Look magazine. In the end, her antics land her on the cover!
How many times do we take something to an extreme because we are angry, only to have it backfire?
It reminds me of the times my parents told me not to do something, and I did it anyway—only for it to end badly. I think some of that reaction comes from not liking being told what to do by someone who believes they have power over us. Sometimes the fastest way to make someone do the opposite is to order them to comply.
It makes me wonder whether things would have turned out differently if Ricky had approached Lucy another way.
It also makes me think about how I parent. Instead of always saying, “Don’t do this,” or “Be careful with that,” how can I have a conversation with my kids and include them in the discussion? How can I make it feel more like a two-way street instead of a one-way command?
I like that idea.
I know I cannot prevent my kids from ever making rebellious choices. But I can do my best to create a relationship where they feel heard, respected, and comfortable talking with me—even when we disagree. And I can be prepared for anything, because parenting, much like an episode of I Love Lucy, rarely goes exactly as planned!
