Clair Taught Me: 9 Life Lessons From Clair Huxtable

If you want something ask for it

I typically like to save the best for last but this is my absolute favorite lesson from Clair, so I have to start with it first. Remember that episode where Theo and Cockroach were auditioning to be on “Dancemania”? And Theo made it but Cockroach didn’t. Well Theo, thought he was doing the right thing by offering to let his friend go on the show. But he was just offering. He really wanted Cockroach to decline so he could go on the show. But Cockroach went for his and went on the show and Theo was pissed. But Clair let him know that he had no one to be mad at but himself. He knew what he wanted and should have gone for it instead of letting his friend do what he wanted.

You can have it all

In case you hadn’t noticed Clair was a lawyer, a wife and a mother…of six children. Not to say that your life will be just like hers but she’s an example that it is possible to have the career, the man and even the kids if you want. And even do it well.

You don’t have to dumb it down for a man

I always got the impression that Clair was smarter than Cliff. She was a powerful attorney, she spoke fluent Spanish (which wasn’t acting, she actually speaks Spanish) and she had a way with communicating with her children that just worked. And even if she wasn’t, she certainly didn’t dim her light to let her husband shine.

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We Don’t Know What It’s Like To Be Parent

Until we have children, we can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to worry about a child every day, several times of the day. Even though it’s a feeling we have to experience firsthand, we got just a glimpse of what it might be like when we saw Clair go off on Vanessa when she snuck of to Maryland to see The Wretched in concert.

Make time for yourself

What I noticed about Clair was that even though she had six children, a thriving career and a husband, you never saw her looking disheveled. A lot of that has to do with the fact that we were watching her on television. And of course that means being flawless like Clair every day is unrealistic. You might not be able to make it an everyday thing but let it be a lesson that you should make time to take care of yourself. Just because you have a lot going on doesn’t mean you have to look a hot mess.

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Marriage is 50-50

I know you remember the episode where Clair had to school Elvin real quick. She let him know that it was nothing for her to bring Cliff a cup of coffee because she knows that when push comes to shove, he would do the same for her. In other words, it’s not her job to serve her husband, it’s her job to work to make sure their marriage is based on give and take. Amen!

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Menopause can be fun

When Clair told her children that she was experiencing the first symptoms of menopause, everyone started freaking out and treating her like a child or like she was disabled. Instead of letting it get her down, she decided to teach her children that going through menopause didn’t mean she would cease to be the woman they had known and grown up with all their lives, with the exception of Pam.

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You can be selfish sometimes

Remember the day Clair came home from work early because she was sick? Even though she was laid out on the couch, Theo still came home demanding something from her. Now, by this time Theo was a grown man, looking to move into his first apartment. She told him that not only was he inconsiderate, she needed some time to herself. Even as mothers, it’s ok to ask for some “me-time,” especially when the people pulling on you are grown and able to do for themselves.

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Make Time For Your Man

And we can’t forget Cliff. No matter how busy both Cliff and Clair were, no matter how foolish the kids were acting, they always made time to spend with each other alone. Whether it was a full out get a way or a few stolen moments on the couch, Cliff and Clair knew how to keep the fire burning. And we dig that.