House cleaning indoctrination...

[vraiblonde]

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

Larry's oldest used to say that, too, but she changed her mind when she hit about 16 or so.

 

[Larry Gude]

I'll bet you send...

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.

...thank you's!

 

[baileydog]

...thank you's!

Most of the time.

 

[Larry Gude]

So it is all...

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

...my fault; in and of yourself, they're neat and well behaved, but with me around to get in the way, they're a mess.

 

[Tinkerbell]

Larry's oldest used to say that, too, but she changed her mind when she hit about 16 or so.

Oh good...she'll get over it. I figured as much. She's 13, so it should kick in within 3 years!

 

[Tinkerbell]

...my fault; in and of yourself, they're neat and well behaved, but with me around to get in the way, they're a mess.

Do they send thank you cards?










Just messing with ya Larry!

 

[Larry Gude]

Messing...

Do they send thank you cards?


Just messing with ya Larry!

...did you mean that or was that an accidental funny?

 

[nightowl]

Growing up I was never really taught how to clean. I was given plenty of chores but I don't ever remember my mom helping with them. It was always my 2 older sisters and I doing all the work.

I try to keep a straight house with a husband and 3 kids around but it's a constant battle. My 10 yr old calls me a neat freak but our house sure doesn't look like neat freaks live there hehehe. Unlike my mom I do try to show the kids the right way to do stuff and I sure do my fair share.

Will my kids grow up to be neat, hmmmm, at this point I don't know. I know my oldest (15) can do a darn good job cleaning when he wants to. So maybe the 10 and 5 yr old will grow into it.

I think neatness is a taught thing but I also think it's a decision the person/child makes for theirself at some point too.

 

[Tinkerbell]

...did you mean that or was that an accidental funny?

that was a completely accidental funny!

 

[Larry Gude]

Cool...

that was a completely accidental funny!

...I'm undecided which is best; intentional or unintentional.

 

[mommarock]

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:

 

[vraiblonde]

...my fault; in and of yourself, they're neat and well behaved, but with me around to get in the way, they're a mess.

No. Elaine and I were just talking about it:

I think kids are assimilators by nature - they will do what those around them do so as not to stand out in the crowd. At home, Alex has other co-slobs around her, leaving their crap around and making messes they don't clean up.

Here, there wasn't anyone like that, so she did what I did. My memory was that she wasn't particularly sloppy when she stayed with Grammy, either.

Even with Doug and Kyle, they had co-slobs (each other). If one of them was tidy by nature, I'll bet the other one would have been, too. Just a theroy.

 

[Tinkerbell]

...I'm undecided which is best; intentional or unintentional.

ACK! A survey within a survey!

 

[Tinkerbell]

No. Elaine and I were just talking about it:

I think kids are assimilators by nature - they will do what those around them do so as not to stand out in the crowd. At home, Alex has other co-slobs around her, leaving their crap around and making messes they don't clean up.

Here, there wasn't anyone like that, so she did what I did. My memory was that she wasn't particularly sloppy when she stayed with Grammy, either.

Even with Doug and Kyle, they had co-slobs (each other). If one of them was tidy by nature, I'll bet the other one would have been, too. Just a theroy.

Ahhh! Never thought of it like that. My kids are almost 7 years apart in age... so it doesn't seem to translate with them. The messes are different. But, my oldest is neat in all of the house, except her room. In there, it's clean about 30% of the time and otherwise there are things on the floor from one end to the other. The little one just doesn't see the point in picking up the barbies in her room because "I'm gonna play with them again tomorrow mommy!"

 

[vraiblonde]

Ahhh! Never thought of it like that.

Which would explain why I, as an only child most of the time, would be tidy like the only other person in the house - my Mom.

Interesting.

 

[maxima87]

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...

My son is eight and he has weekly chores. He gets a choice of which room in addition to his that we will be responsible for. I refuse to clean his room for him anymore--but I will go in there about every month or so and help him organize some things or rearrange his bedroom furniture. The two year old follows him and "helps". She knows where to put her dirty clothes, her toys and her blankets. When she sees us starting to pick-up, she does the same. Make them start young and they will learn.

 

[Tinkerbell]

My son is eight and he has weekly chores. He gets a choice of which room in addition to his that we will be responsible for. I refuse to clean his room for him anymore--but I will go in there about every month or so and help him organize some things or rearrange his bedroom furniture. The two year old follows him and "helps". She knows where to put her dirty clothes, her toys and her blankets. When she sees us starting to pick-up, she does the same. Make them start young and they will learn.

What do I do about the hubby? He's a momma's boy...and I refuse to be his new momma!

 

[kwillia]

What do I do about the hubby? He's a momma's boy...and I refuse to be his new momma!

Stop enabling him. You can't control him, but you can control what you do for him. If you get frustrated and resent a particular thing you find yourself doing for him over and over again, mention you are eliminating that from your list of things to do and then follow through...:shrug:

 

[maxima87]

Stop enabling him. You can't control him, but you can control what you do for him. If you get frustrated and resent a particular thing you find yourself doing for him over and over again, mention you are eliminating that from your list of things to do and then follow through...:shrug:

 

[vraiblonde]

Stop enabling him. You can't control him, but you can control what you do for him. If you get frustrated and resent a particular thing you find yourself doing for him over and over again, mention you are eliminating that from your list of things to do and then follow through...

The obvious problem with that is that then she'll have to either live in a pig sty or do all chores herself.

My girlfriend actually tried this with her husband years ago. She went on "strike" and refused to do dishes, laundry, clean the house, etc because she felt that if he wasn't doing any housework, neither was she.

She didn't last 4 days. And they're no longer married.