Cleaning up after your family is tough. It's tougher when you've got kids....especially
the busload that I have (and I thank God for them.) But when you've allowed yourself to become the cook, maid, shopper, bather, errand runner, computer help desk technician, telephone guru, laundry washer/hanger/folderupper and putter awayer,
homework helper, finder of all things lost, human alarm clock, doorman, medicine dispenser, dragger of ill to the doctor/dentist, child drop off/pick up pointman, sex slave and coffee/tea maker..............(shew) you kinda get a case of the ass when you see your 13-yr old drink his third cup of water from a different cup and drop it into the soapy water and walk away.
So, I'm following through with my threat the other day. One of 'em screws up, that's the one that's gonna get stuck cleaning that nasty ole bathroom! The next one that screws up gets to make all the beds in the house. Samiya and Aiman didn't want to study tonight after being told to 47 times...so I made them fold up the two loads of clothes on the couch. I'm LIKING this.
I can get dishes done, rugs vacuumed, walls scrubbed and shoes put away, trash emptied and potatoes peeled and hell, I could just make the new curtains I've been putting off or work out or blog. Yeah......I'm down with this idea.
As often as Ismail and Mohamed fight per day, I should be able to get bedroom closets organized by the end of the week!
Right on for free child labor..........errrrr........constructive punitive ideas.
From Florida to Jeddah — Women on the Road
4 years ago
2 comments:
I'm telling you....the "Worsley Family Politeness Plan" (idea stolen from the Berenstain Bears) is posted in our kitchen. It has worked wonders in curbing some of the rude behavior. Of course, the kids are still little enough that I have to supervise a lot of the cleaning and/or redo it later, but it has definitely made them think twice about the bad behavior. Here are the highlights:
Forgetting "please" or "thank you" ...wash off the patio table
Pushing, shoving or hitting....scrub down sticky kitchen table and chairs
Interrupting...dust downstairs baseboards
Name calling...clean your room or sort all of the toys into proper bins
Slamming doors...empty all garbage cans
Grabbing without asking....pick up all toys in the backyard
Not sharing...wipe down kitchen cabinets
Whining...sweep back patio
Gotta love those Berenstain Bears...Mama bear has some good ideas. The book is "Bearenstain Bears Forget their Manners"
OMG! I totally forgot about that book! And you are dead on about the Mrs. Berenstein Bear being smart. I really like the idea of a bad behavior modification menu. What a great idea!
Too bad the younger boys have exams tomorrow or they'd be on scrub the stove top duty right now.
But alas! They're off the hook because they've gotta go to bed now in order to get up at 6:30.
Next time...(insert evil laugh track here.)
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