For the purposes of this post, I am a scientist. I am currently bordering on having my third child turn three. Scientists use data and rigorous testing to develop a hypothesis. Considering I am knee deep in a shit sea of test tubes containing three year old children as specimens, you can call me doctor.
Every person has had the distinct pleasure of working for a boss who had no business managing human beings, primates or any classification of mammal. Someone who, you imagined through angry eyes and gritted teeth, struggled to put on pants in the morning. Yet, miraculously, this person made it into the upper echelons of “The Man(agement)”. For the purposes of this study, we will refer to these test subjects as: Asshole Bosses or simply Asshole, for short.
Your Asshole Boss and The Three Year Old Child. Hypothesis – They are exactly the same.
A bold statement to be sure, but, rest assured that I have examples, facts and data to back up my claims. I am, after all, a scientist.
FACT 1: Vacation? Restroom break? Lunch?
Asshole Boss: FUCK YOU. You are on their timeline. You can leave your desk when they are done with their morning marathon of high-fiving and solitaire playing with Hank, V.P. of Accounts. You don’t leave your desk until they leave their desk for their mid-morning, early afternoon, after lunch or pre-evening cappuccinos.
Three year old: FUCK YOU. You are on their timeline. You don’t leave your station next to them until they are done with their morning marathon of sitting on top of the cat and hiding the remotes. Don’t even think of going to put on real pants until they’ve had breakfast, breakfast snack, post-breakfast snack snack and pre-lunch snack.
FACT 2: Embarrassing you in public.
Asshole Boss: Doesn’t know what the FUCK they are talking about. It’s a good thing you are there to correct their incoherent jibber-jabber in meetings, conference calls and lunches with clients.
Three year old: Doesn’t know what the FUCK they are talking about. It’s a good thing you are there to explain their incoherent jibber-jabber in play groups, during doctor visits and lunches with friends you’ll never see again when you explain that HOO-HAW means donkey and DamnItPenis is just how they say Uncle Dennis.
FACT 3: You have plans?
Asshole Boss: You have a date night scheduled with the lover? You’ve been planning it for months? You bought a new dress? FUCK YOU! A last minute deadline just came in. Asshole Boss would complete it, but, see Fact 2. They don’t know what the FUCK they’re talking about. You’re going to have to pull an all-nighter so douchetastic fantastic can look good at tomorrow’s board meeting. You’re not going anywhere.
Three year old: FUCK YOU! I rubbed my face against the kid with pink eye four days ago because I saw you online buying a dress. You’re not going anywhere.
FACT 4: All of the work. None of the credit.
Asshole Boss: You do everything for them. You hold their hand through board meetings. You compile the reports. You write their e-mails and sweep up the pieces of disaster when they branch out to send correspondence without checking in to ask if any of the data they spewed was accurate. You make the calls and put in the time. You get a $5 Olive Garden gift certificate at the end of the year. You trade it in for a bottle of Boon’s Farm and call it a day.
Three year old: You do everything for them. You get a swift kick in the vagina as you carry their screaming, stiff body to bed. You call it a day with the 1/4 bottle of flat champagne you found in the refrigerator behind the leftover ravioli they threw at you earlier during dinner at The Olive Garden.
FACT 5: You need the job.
Asshole Boss: They have you where they want you. Sure, the pay is shit, you don’t have dental and they just took away your parking space to give it to Asshole Boss’s 16 year old, but, hey, a job is better than no job. You stick it out while sticking pins into that cool voodoo doll you got in the French Quarter from that nice lady with the two dozen chicken heads hanging from her ceiling. Good times.
Three year old: They have you where they want you. Sure, the pay is shit, you don’t have dental and you didn’t have a parking space to begin with, but, you can’t even imagine not having the 3 year old. Besides, you love that little asshole. Good times.
As you can see, scientific data doesn’t lie. The constant is the behavior. The only variable in this highly respectable study is love. When it comes to that, 3 year old has Asshole Boss beat by a landslide. Still, even given the variable, I think you’ll agree these findings are not without scientific merit. All experiments were done in a controlled setting, excluding the key love element which would explain why you keyed Asshole Boss’s car yet gave your 3 year old 100 hundred kisses, 15 readings of Goodnight Moon and 4 glasses of water tonight before bed.






{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
So true. At least the 3-year-olds grow up and change, which is not always a good thing…
Jenelle W. recently posted..Elf on the Shelf – Elf Bomb
HAAAA!!! Damn, that’s funny. And true.
Stephanie recently posted..The Geriatric Slide
I have seen the “fuck you” face on my children so many times! This is so funny and yet, so true!
HouseTalkN recently posted..HouseTalkN is BoobTalkN…Again
The snacks, oh heaven help me, the snacks. Snacks after breakfast, lunch, dinner, 4am. Will the snacking cease and desist??? Nope, probably not. Spot on, my friend! But, you’re right, I leeerve my babies way more than that cranky ass who used to be my boss.
Paige Kellerman recently posted..Date Night Magic: A Review
Ditto on the snacks. Its so nice when they get old enough to get their own snacks.
jeannine recently posted..Just Me: New Years Goals (not resolutions)
Bethany! I loved this. Everything you said is the God’s honest truth. Love the $5 Olive Garden gift card bonus and the voodoo doll. And yeah, every single time I make fun plans someone gets super sick – kids have some kind of sixth sick sense of their own!
Keesha recently posted..Feeling Great Naked
So glad I don’t have a boss or a 3 year old anymore, because this is so true. Both are total assholes and I can’t believe I never noticed that before.
Jen at PIWTPITT.com recently posted..How Not to Stop the Flu Epidemic
You know, my oldest is 5 and I’d sorta forgotten about this “asshole boss” phase. Not that he doesn’t act like my asshole boss now…it’s just not quite as assholian as it once was. On the other hand, I do have a baby that’s turning a year old soon so there’s that. Another asshole boss on the way.
Thank you for making me laugh out loud today!
Toulouse recently posted..Mommy, Will You Marry Me?
Asshoulian. I think this may be my new favorite word.
*Assholian
Your analogy is perfect – you keep waiting for them both to grow up and pull their own weight, but at least you know the three year old is qualified for the job! Man, I’m glad I don’t work in an office anymore. **gives virtual finger to past bosses, smooches current boss on the head**
hollow tree ventures recently posted..Fancy Pants Party Poopers
Rubbed my face on the kid with pink eye – snort! Loved this! My 18 month old is totally my boss right now. A little less asshole, but still…
Kathy at kissing the frog recently posted..How to Sleep-Train A Toddler in 30 Easy Steps
As I sit here waiting for my asshole boss – I mean, three-yr old to finally get the FUCK out of the car, I am nodding in agreement to each and every point. My own scientific research with four additional specimens confirms your hypothesis. Now seeing and proving repeatability, we can now call it a THEORY.
MILF Runner recently posted..Mailbag Monday #2
BEST. POST. EVVVVEERRRRRR. lol
Chantelle, you just made my day. Even as I type this, I’m surrounded by tiny assholes. ;)
Bethany @ Bad Parenting Moments recently posted..Find A Penny, Pick It Up, All Day Long, A Baby Will Try to Choke on It.
I’ve had this boss twice already. They refused to fire me, since I read the BEST bedtime stories to them each night.
Every one of those items is accurate. *high five*
Kim at Let Me Start By Saying recently posted..I Do Not Fear Getting Burned by an Easy Bake Oven
My husband and I have had a Baby/Toddler as bad CEO running joke for years, citing many of these same scientific facts. Laughter is key to getting through parenthood!
This is gold: “Don’t even think of going to put on real pants until they’ve had breakfast, breakfast snack, post-breakfast snack snack and pre-lunch snack.”
Lord I do despise dealing with 3yos.
Ninja Mom recently posted..Secret Exposed: Twins are synonymous with easy-peasy
The only one I would add is that both the three year old and the boss believe you are doing nothing all day but waiting to instantly fulfill their latest demand, no matter how ridiculous the demand is.
My Half Assed Life recently posted..Toilet Travesty
I cannot stop laughing and I’ve read this three times already. This may be the best analogy of a three year old I’ve ever seen.
Queen of the Couch recently posted..A Cautionary Tale
Hilarious!!
My boss is a major asshole and my kids….I sometimes wanna smack ‘em! :)
Bethany, you had me with your bio, but I loved the rest of this post two. The vagina kicks! Why, oh why, must it always be the vagina? Throw in how every pee is a group affair, and I’ve officially ceased to have any private space.
Meredith recently posted..Let the Awards Season Roll!
I thought the “terrible 2′s” were bad. Now we’re into the “tryannical 3′s” and it’s much worse. This post describes my life.
I’ve been through three of these bosses and currently have another, he is totally running the house while the rest of the prior bosses look at him like he is crazy. And he is.
Jessica recently posted..Giving up on Miss America
Thanks for this. I get so sick of hearing that we must ALWAYS think of our kids with a warm, fuzzy, bokah outlook. Ugh! 3 yr olds suck!
Amen sister to every single sentence. I joke to my husband that his job is a vacation compared to mine (staying home with beasts). I tell him his bosses don’t yell at him all day and that I am pretty sure I have PSTD from my bosses. Lol
yup, toddlers are bad CEOs. good thing most of them are cute and have *that* thing (mine’s is his laugh and that he looks/acts like me) that prevents you from quitting the momma gig.
Okay, you’re bang on. I used to compare mine to an abusive spouse. I’d love him no matter what he did to me. I like the boss analogy much, much better.
Jenny recently posted..Letting My Husband Cry It Out
God I needed this. Yes!! It is so right. I never put the pieces together because I’m no scientist. Just today I explained the phenomenon of breakfast, breakfast snack, post-breakfast snack snack and pre-lunch snack. They’re like locusts. Asshole Boss Locusts.
Allison @ Motherhood, WTF? recently posted..I stay positive for them
Well I have had an horrible boss or two and I currently have a three year old. Therefore I’m highly qualified to confirm your findings.
Tinne from Tantrums and Tomatoes recently posted..Memories from the not so distant past : my lunchtime visit to Ikea.
I just got so excited when I realized that my three year old is about to turn 4 in just two weeks!! And then I remembered that the youngest is about to turn three in just two weeks… :(
Anna recently posted..Messy House Edition: Post-Holiday Decorations
So true. All that time in the office prepared me perfectly for parenthood! I just didn’t think of it this way. Thank you, Dr. ;)
Alicia recently posted..Welcome, and Have a Nap!
OMG..so funny. 3 yr old fact 4 had me laughing out loud. at work. but my boss is cool. thankfully.
bosses…husbands….. ya I can say they are both equal to my 2 year old….all work no credit and If I can’t get something done it is all my fault while they sit and watch the game, or mickey mouse.
Love this post. My youngest just turned 2, but I went through this with the now 6y/o twins. How COULD I forget. Good times ahead!
Lynette recently posted..Don’t be a Bloghole – Connect your blog
Hahaha ! Well put ! When do boys or men grow up ? My husband reverts to Im sick I’m dying ! Me ? Babe I feel sick 2 ! No u don’t I have it WAY worse! At least my girls will heed the I told u so ! Well when their 30+ yrs old lol
Yep, you nailed it. Except I ALWAYS make sure to have better shit in the house than flat champagne. Parenting requires this.
Love this!
At least the asshole boss is required to pay you, even through gritted teeth.
Nu,ber 3 had me laughing so hard. The very first time my mom agreed to take the kids for the weekend, my son got sick. Oh and my liquor cabinet is well stocked, it’s how the kids stay alive. Lucky for me I have twin three year olds right now-double the assholes but double the messes. I mean love.
Twingle Mommy recently posted..Wait, What Did You Just Say to Me?
3 year olds are most definitely assholes. That age is why I stopped at two kids. First child was awful at 3.** I thought “let’s try this again…surely it gets better.” Nope. 2nd was an even BIGGER asshole at 3.** Too scared that the third would be a preschool mini-Manson.
**I do not think my kids are assholes.
Meredith @ The Girl Next Door Drinks and Swears recently posted..Knock, Knock…Let me IN!!
Hysterical! Great observations. Now just wait until you get to observe a 16-year-old. I think they make even the asshole bosses look like nice guys.
Connie Lissner recently posted..Endless Possibilities
What’s funny is that I think I’ve gotten better at my job (and dealing with bosses) because of my experience with my 3-year olds! I always say, “I can handle so and so producer, because I have a child at home that acts just like him.”
Kristen Brakeman recently posted..Health Hazards You Can’t Ignore
All day all they want are snacks. Make them wait for the meal, two bites and I’m full.
Heather @ Kraus House Mom recently posted..Splinter Removal
My daughter works 12 hour shifts as a nurse. Went from 3 to 2 when baby arrived. Decided at 19 months to go back to 3. Way easier.
Virginia Llorca recently posted..THE WINNER
You just gained another reader. Freakin. Hilarious.
I used to both an asshole boss and 2 – three year olds. You’re correct. They both sucked!!!
Teri recently posted..Real Stars vs. Fake Stars
This made my whole day sparkle. And also, it made me fucking miserable. I have 2 year-old twins. The worst is yet to come and IT NEVER GETS BETTER.
Jodie recently posted..And you wonder why I don’t have time to email you.
Reminds me of the time my son licked the shopping cart handles and got the whole house sick. No date night for you!
My kid turned four recently. Which means she graduated from being an asshole 3yo to being a tyrant 4yo. It’s like she got promoted from middle management and has let the power go to her head.
JD Bailey @ Honest Mom recently posted..My Secret to Calming Myself When I’m About to Lose It. Like *Really* Lose It.
I think we are spiritual soul Mammas…..EVERY bit of what I think daily with my three……
I laughed so hard I almost peeped- cuz it is all so so true! With a bad day of potty training failures behind me, I really needed this laugh. Thanks!
Thank goodness, so other three year old are like this. My particular three year old tyrant is graceful, gentle and articulate in public and morphs into asshole boss one step inside the front door.
Mine’s the opposite, Valetta- he’s fine at home, but becomes Assholian out in public!
I love this, so true! I think I will read it every time my 3 year old bosses me around and think this too shall pass!
Catina recently posted..It’s a sh*tty situation!