House cleaning indoctrination...

[Larry Gude]

But we tried...

Obviously not, from our experience with our own kids.

....didn't we? I mean, we wanted neat kids. We lament not having them, right? Vince is making me hate myself. I'd thought it was just biology, but, I'm starting to think maybe it's...us.

 

[vraiblonde]

The flip side is no one went through much to get Vrail neat as a child; she's just a neat person.

Beej would occasionally tell me I needed to dust my room, but that was it. Clothes were always neatly hung or folded. Stuff organized in drawers. Bed not made, but straightened.

I think you're either innately tidy or your not, because I don't remember my mother having any talks with me about cleaning my room, taking out trash, folding laundry, etc.

 

[vraiblonde]

I'm starting to think maybe it's...us.

It may be you but it's definitely not me. I sat them down numerous times and showed them the proper way to fold clothes so they don't end up wrinkled. How to make their bed. How to dust and vacuum (really get up the dirt, not just make lines in the carpet). How many times have you heard me tell them about the shoes by the front door? I even bought them a basket to throw their shoes in, but they couldn't even manage to do that.

I think people are either slobs or they're not, and there's not a lot you can do about it.

 

[BadGirl]

....didn't we? I mean, we wanted neat kids. We lament not having them, right? Vince is making me hate myself. I'd thought it was just biology, but, I'm starting to think maybe it's...us.

Oh, it's you.

 

[Larry Gude]

We haven't...

I think people are either slobs or they're not, and there's not a lot you can do about it.

...tried lobotomy's yet.

 

[Larry Gude]

Oh...

Oh, it's you.

...here comes the Girl Thank You Note Writing Mafia to back each other up.

 

[Toxick]

I'd thought it was just biology, but, I'm starting to think maybe it's...us.

Technically - even if it's biology, it's still you.







Maybe you should tell them that having a messy room turns you queer.

 

[vraiblonde]

I will tell you, though, that as big a slob as Alex is at home, when she was down here she was very tidy and I didn't have to tell her one time to pick up her water bottle or take her plate to the dishwasher. Same with Kyle when she was here.

So we must have done *something* right.

 

[Vince]

Beej would occasionally tell me I needed to dust my room, but that was it. Clothes were always neatly hung or folded. Stuff organized in drawers. Bed not made, but straightened.

I think you're either innately tidy or your not, because I don't remember my mother having any talks with me about cleaning my room, taking out trash, folding laundry, etc.

Shoot, my mother made us fold and/or iron clothes. Our beds had to be made every morning. And because she worked in a sewing mill all her life we were taught to sew buttons, hems, etc. Washing dishes everynight was a given. We took turns and of course between me and my two brothers we'd argue everynight on whose turn it was. One thing we all hated was doing dishes. And my mother would never get a dish washer. She said, "why, when I have 3 boys to do them for me." Even after we all move out, she didn't get one. :shrug:

 

[vraiblonde]

PS, her shoes were placed neatly by her chair or by the front door, instead of in the middle of the hall.

 

[baileydog]

Bed made every day and still do, dishes washed every night RIGHT after dinner, still do. Can not stand a dirty floor, used to vaccuum neurotically 6-10 times a day, Im much better now, only once or twice.

 

[kwillia]

Slightly off topic... but I am dying to know...

Are there really middle school/high school aged children at home for the summer that AREN'T expected to do some sort of chore each and every day and on some days mulitiple chores...

 

[vraiblonde]

Are there really middle school/high school aged children at home for the summer that AREN'T expected to do some sort of chore each and every day and on some days mulitiple chores...

Of course - I know some of them.

 

[Tinkerbell]

Slightly off topic... but I am dying to know...

Are there really middle school/high school aged children at home for the summer that AREN'T expected to do some sort of chore each and every day and on some days mulitiple chores...

Tell me about it. Mine is home and she has a poster on the wall that lists Daily Chores (for her to do daily) and Weekly Chores (she can do them when she wants, but all of them have to get done each week) as well as any other additional chores that mom leaves on a post it note as necessary (like when dad decided to get dirt all over our bathroom floor this morning before he left for work ). She still has time for what she wants. She actually likes that she's helping me out during the day while I'm at work. She said that - out loud! Of course, I'm thinking she shouldn't go back to school and should just be my slave for life.

 

[Cowgirl]

It may be you but it's definitely not me. I sat them down numerous times and showed them the proper way to fold clothes so they don't end up wrinkled. How to make their bed. How to dust and vacuum (really get up the dirt, not just make lines in the carpet). How many times have you heard me tell them about the shoes by the front door? I even bought them a basket to throw their shoes in, but they couldn't even manage to do that.

I think people are either slobs or they're not, and there's not a lot you can do about it.

I'm not a tidy person. I'm not a total slob either. We had chores growing up, and we had to do them. If my room got really messy, my mom would tell me to clean it, and I did...rather sluggishly. By the time I got to high school, she backed off a little (unless it got too bad). But 95% of the time I know where things are...which pile it's in.

My desk at work is cluttered...but I like the saying "A cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind. An empty desk is a sign of....well, you get the idea."



As a whole, I'm not a very organized person...but with some things I'm very organized. I make about 100 lists before vacation....I guess if it's something I like, I'll be organized. If it's boring (like bills, etc) I'm not organized. :shrug:

 

[kwillia]

Tell me about it. Mine is home and she has a poster on the wall that lists Daily Chores (for her to do daily) and Weekly Chores (she can do them when she wants, but all of them have to get done each week) as well as any other additional chores that mom leaves on a post it note as necessary (like when dad decided to get dirt all over our bathroom floor this morning before he left for work ). She still has time for what she wants. She actually likes that she's helping me out during the day while I'm at work. She said that - out loud! Of course, I'm thinking she shouldn't go back to school and should just be my slave for life.

Exactly! I was chatting with my mother last night and she was talking about the women she works with that were biatching that their kids aren't doing anything but adding to the mess and I was floored!

 

[baileydog]

Exactly! I was chatting with my mother last night and she was talking about the women she works with that were biatching that their kids aren't doing anything but adding to the mess and I was floored!

Lazy parenting makes for lazy kids.

 

[Tinkerbell]

Exactly! I was chatting with my mother last night and she was talking about the women she works with that were biatching that their kids aren't doing anything but adding to the mess and I was floored!

Wow. Those women are wasting a perfect opportunity to lessen their workload during the summer!

I don't load her down with chores from dawn to dusk. She has time to swim in the pool, watch a movie, read, etc. I still do other chores in the evenings when I get home, but because of her help it is alot less!

 

[vraiblonde]

Wow. Those women are wasting a perfect opportunity to lessen their workload during the summer!

It became more work for me to be fussing at them all the time. So I quit and figured, who cares? They'll move out soon. :shrug:

 

[Tinkerbell]

It became more work for me to be fussing at them all the time. So I quit and figured, who cares? They'll move out soon. :shrug:

My oldest said she likes it at home and wants to stay forever.

Hopefully she'll grow out of that or I'm going to have to do something about that.