Cleaning Solutions

Just when I suggest that we are doing a great job with our kids...well, I suppose it's a fair balance.

I think I've actually tried to work this theory out here before. But we're having a problem keeping our darn house clean. Let me make the disclaimer that all the kids' toys are down in the basement now. And the basement is in construction shambles, so it's not real accessible to put their stuff away. Let me make another disclaimer that the little suckers didn't put their stuff away when the basement was not in shambles anyways.

The other day, I went to take a giant wad of clothes downstairs to the basement, when on the first step, I stepped into a plastic storage box on the step that I'd asked Lucy to put away. Apparently she chose to put it halfway away, resolving to just take care of that later. I stepped into it, it slid off the step and me and the box went flying down the steps. Ouch. The kids came running in concern because I might have screamed. And I frikkin lost it. I'm pretty sure I said something to the effect, "Oh, you're concerned about me now, but not enough to clean up your stuff when I ask you too? I gotta go flying down the stairs for it to count for anything?" Yet again, another stellar parental moment. I threw the box so hard aginst the wall, it shattered into a million little pieces, except this story is true.

Lucy was petrified. You'd think that performance would have worked, but there's stuff all over my house as I type.

I'd also told the kids that the very basics of expectations was that they had to keep wet towels off the floor and hang them up, and no clothes on the floor. I explained that I was buying no more new clothes or shoes, they have hampers, drawers, hangers and a closet for their clothes and shoes. So, if the clothes are on the floor and I had to pick them up, they were going into a trash bag. But I never did it.

All that happened during my give-them-control-and-responsibility-to-clean-up-their stuff. I even got them each a clean up basket and I fill it up every day while they are at school and when they get home, they are supposed to notice all their crap that was strewn all over the house, that I picked up, and they are to put it away. That's not working either. Well, it's working, but not as well as I'd hoped.

It is so much easier for me to just clean up. I don't yell at the kids. It gets done right. Everyone is happy. I think they appreciate me cleaning up and not the screaming dragon lady 24/7. Still they need some responsibility. I'm really torn on this one. So, I was really ready to just buck up, find some other responsibilities for them to earn their allowance and dignity. But mostly allowance.

I just gave up and gave in, and I was really considering just doing it all myself. And while considering it I was doing laundry, and went to strip the kids' beds and wash their sheets and remake their beds. I got Lucy's bed made, and found a few clothes on the floor. And then I went to go into Max's room. And that's when the Mommy Dearest rage came over me - the saving grace was the kids were at school.

Clean clothes still folded and dirty clothes wadded up, wet towels, crafts, books, all of it, were all over the floor. I couldn't walk into the room it was so dirty. The kid has allergies and has mold freshly growing in his room from wet towels on his floor. C'mon, y'all. Still, in all the rage, I was considering just cleaning it up myself. Or maybe wait for them to come home from school and lay into them, tell them to go to their rooms til they are clean. That never works at this house. And then a light bulb clicked, I went and got the promised trash bag.

It's hard to hold up to that, because I'd spent alot of any free time shopping for pants for these ever-growing kids. So, to throw it away, no good. But I just need one "Mom, I don't have any pants to wear to school" to use against him. Or, "Mom, I can't find my favorite night gown" from Lucy. That's all I need.

I'm gonna stick to my promise, I'm gonna teach them a lesson. This is going to be great.

I shovelled games, shoes, towels, books, stuffed animals, a tape measure, clothes. All of it. And then I went back into Lucy's room and snagged all of her stuff that wasn't as offensive, but I gotta be fair, right? I FILLED UP a giant trash bag and hauled it down to the basement. LIBERATE!

I made their beds, and started the laundry. Oh this is gonna be good! They'll come home, and notice all their stuff is gone and learn their lesson! Yay me!

Those shits came home, and still haven't noticed anything gone. It's almost been a week. Dammit. Well, atleast the laundry was less this week.

That's how I roll.