Did you clean your room?


Guest Andrea

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When you were growing up.............did you clean your room or did your Mom or Dad do it???

As most of you know.....I have 2 boys. Ages 9 and 12. They share a pretty big room. It looks like a tornado has blown thru there most of the time. I tell them to clean it and here's what usually takes place:

1. All kinds of stuff like dirty socks and toys get shoved under the bed or behind dressers.

2. They will argue over who messed up what.

3. Then they will say things like " Well, I cleaned MY side"

4. Sometimes the arguments become physical. mad.gif

5. And after many hours of "cleaning"....the room looks clean.....but DON'T open the closet door or under the bed!!!!

Any tips for this frazzled Mom??? grin.gif ( And I have taken things away, grounded them, spanked, pleaded, threatened, made good on the threats, etc.,) smirk.gif

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Re: Did you clean your room?

LMAO I'm taking a break from cleaning my boys' room right now! You forgot to add that each of them will take turns coming out claiming that he is the only one cleaning while the other is just playing and making more of a mess! smile.gif

Most of the time I make them clean it themselves, but the summer stuff needs to be packed away so I have room for winter clothes, so I have to do this round.

I'd try that flax bale, but I am sure they would love the idea! crazy.gif

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Re: Did you clean your room?

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LMAO I'm taking a break from cleaning my boys' room right now! You forgot to add that each of them will take turns coming out claiming that he is the only one cleaning while the other is just playing and making more of a mess! smile.gif

Most of the time I make them clean it themselves, but the summer stuff needs to be packed away so I have room for winter clothes, so I have to do this round.

I'd try that flax bale, but I am sure they would love the idea! crazy.gif

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Yes!!! They do that too!!! Or "He's trying to tell me what to do!!!" crazy.gifcrazy.gif

I'd do the hay bale too but I have no where to put all the stuff I'd have to take OUT of the room.

Maybe have a BIG yard sale................. shocked.gifwink.gif

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Re: Did you clean your room?

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When you were growing up.............did you clean your room or did your Mom or Dad do it??? I did it, there was no other options

As most of you know.....I have 2 boys. Ages 9 and 12. They share a pretty big room. It looks like a tornado has blown thru there most of the time. I tell them to clean it and here's what usually takes place:

1. All kinds of stuff like dirty socks and toys get shoved under the bed or behind dressers. Good. Make them wear the dirty clothes until they get made fun of at school and then they will probably obey

2. They will argue over who messed up what. Argue with whom...You? There is no argument. My way is how it is and that's that. You argue with me, you get slapped on the mouth

3. Then they will say things like " Well, I cleaned MY side" I make mine work as a team. Did you ask them to respond like that. I believe you asked them to clean their room, not make any comments while doing it

4. Sometimes the arguments become physical. mad.gifI am hoping you mean with each other. The 12 yr old should take charge. He should tell that little 9 yr old to stop his whining and clean up his room or I'll pop you in the mouth

5. And after many hours of "cleaning"....the room looks clean.....but DON'T open the closet door or under the bed!!!! I do this thing called "Mt. Suribachi". If I/we tell our kids to clean their room...which is everynight before bedtime....and they don't do it, the next day when they want to go outside and play or whatever, ol Dad re-builds Mt. Suribachi. I take litterly everything in their room and build a mountain. That get's them real mad but it get's my point across because now they are spending all night sorting through it.

Any tips for this frazzled Mom??? Yeah, take charge of the situation. It's either your way or no way and that's final. Where's the dad if I may ask. Not meaning to sound like a mean guy but the parents are in charge at my house. Any other way is un-constitutional grin.gif. You must lay the ground rules. At that age, there shouldn't be any question anyway confused.gif...they should be on automatic piliot by now. Just my honest opinion. But then again, they do have a Jarhead for a Dad grin.gif...But I am not mean. We have a lot of fun but it took about 6 years to get them to where I want them though...which is automatic piliot. They know what to do and when to do it by now...for the most part anyway wink.gif

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Re: Did you clean your room?

Yeah, what TSBH said!!! Ours have to clean every Sunday, sometimes I will go in and inspect it, they don't get to do ANYTHING until their room is clean. It to took me awhile to get them to where they are, but it don't take much now to get them to do stuff. Or, you could clean the room, and they EVERYTHING away but the bed, clothes, get them 2 desks to do homework at. make their room PLAIN, take EVERYTHING out, bet you only have to do that once!

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Re: Did you clean your room?

Mike, you sound like my dad when I was a youngin'! grin.gif I still live at home, I'm 18. Eventhough I am an adult now, and mom and dad can't "technically" tell me what to do, I respect them and their requests when I'm living in their house. I'm sure if I didn't, you'd find me living in a tent in the backyard. blush.gifgrin.gif

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Re: Did you clean your room?

Here's an idea. You need to micromanage the cleanup for awhile. Go in there with them, sit down with a soda and start telling them exactly what to do and what goes where. Make sure they're doing all of the actual work, you shouldn't lift a finger. Stay on their butts and don't let them stop until they get it right. And you need to find something they really hate and if they pitch a fit, inflict that on them too.

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Re: Did you clean your room?

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I am an adult now, and mom and dad can't "technically" tell me what to do,

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Oh no sonny grin.gif....I don't care if your 45 yrs old, if you live under my roof, I will "technically" as you say, tell you what to do if I choose too. If I want you to wash the dishes, you will or....you can leave and get your own place you know grin.gif You know I am replaying this image in the back of my brain housing group for when my kids do this. Oh parenthood is so much fun grin.gif

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Re: Did you clean your room?

TSBH:

I really like the Mt. Suribachi idea. I have even done that before...just never gave it a cool name. Ummm, no.....my kids know better than to smart mouth me. Yes.....Dad is their worst nightmare when it comes to doing what they are told. Most of the time though it is MOM that is around all the time when Dad is working .

What I am trying to do is figure out how to get them to do this without arguing and fighting with EACH OTHER. And maybe a few tips on how to cleverly punish them for doing the stupid stuff like hiding the socks behind the dresser. ( BTW.....I like the "wearing the dirty socks to school" idea) My kids would be mortified. laugh.giflaugh.giflaugh.gif

The only thing I don't completely agree with you is allowing the older brother to hit the younger one. At our house....you aren't allowed to hit unless someone hits you first. And even that is hard to do because you can't be with the kids every single second of the day. So you wind up with a crying child ( or 2) with both of them saying the other hit first.

And yes.....................parenthood is a blast. crazy.gifgrin.gifgrin.gifgrin.gif

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Re: Did you clean your room?

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And maybe a few tips on how to cleverly punish them for doing the stupid stuff like hiding the socks behind the dresser.

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Oh ok. I do things like make them hold their arms out while holding books. That there usually makes them listen. If they smart mouth you, grab the side of thier lip where it meets the cheek and pull and twist.

I make them also drive cars and fish. Drive cars by making them put their back up to the wall while squatting down without their butt touching their feet and they hold a book out like they are driving. Make them fish by doing the same thing except they hold out a broom instead of a book.

Put your oldest one in charge and hold him accountable. If the job doesn't get done...even if the job was tasked to the younger boy, punish the oldest for it as well. After a while, he will get tired of being punished for his younger brother and they will start to work as a team. Worked for my boys wink.gif

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Re: Did you clean your room?

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you said "i've got two boys". what's your point?

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Beg your pardon??? confused.gif

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I think what Steve means is that boys will be boys....I doubt he meant anything rude by it wink.gif

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I didn't think he was trying to be rude. smirk.gif Just wasn't sure what he meant.

Well....I don't fall for that anyway. grin.gif Moms will be Moms too ya know!!!! LOL!! I am seriously considering implementing the dirty socks and bales of hay theories. grin.gifwink.gif

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Re: Did you clean your room?

[ QUOTE ]

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I am an adult now, and mom and dad can't "technically" tell me what to do,

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Oh no sonny grin.gif....I don't care if your 45 yrs old, if you live under my roof, I will "technically" as you say, tell you what to do if I choose too. If I want you to wash the dishes, you will or....you can leave and get your own place you know grin.gif You know I am replaying this image in the back of my brain housing group for when my kids do this. Oh parenthood is so much fun grin.gif

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That's what I mean't Mike.... grin.gif If I wouldn't have meant it that way I would have said "My parents can't tell me what to do, I don't give a dang what they say!" wink.gifgrin.gif

I realize that I listen to my parents when I'm in this house! If I don't,.... that's where the "tent in the backyard" statement comes into play! shocked.gifgrin.gif

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Re: Did you clean your room?

Man, that sounds familiar. grin.gif

I have 4 kids. 3 boys and they all share a room, so take your tornado, and add another little boy, 3 year old at that. crazy.gifgrin.gif

I feel your pain mom.

Here's what I do when I get to the breaking point. I send in each of them one at a time. I give each one of them a big garbage bag and and a little garbage bag and tell them to not come out until they're full. I tell them the little bag is for trash, and the big bag is for Goodwill. I don't care what's in it, just fill it. When they come out, I put their big garbage bag in the bed of the truck and tell them to take their trash to an outside canister. The next day I take the big bags down to one of the Volunteers of America or Goodwill boxes and deposit a donation. If they have anything substantial, I take it to the actual store to get a receipt, and I claim the donations on my tax return. cool.gif

Seems to work at reducing clutter.

The real person I have to work on is my wife. When a kid loses something, she just goes out and buys it again, only to find the same object a month later under a child's bed. My solution to that problem is "you lost what? Better go find it huh?" grin.gif

They like mom's solution much better, but I think mine's more effective.

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Re: Did you clean your room?

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

When you were growing up.............did you clean your room or did your Mom or Dad do it??? I did it, there was no other options

As most of you know.....I have 2 boys. Ages 9 and 12. They share a pretty big room. It looks like a tornado has blown thru there most of the time. I tell them to clean it and here's what usually takes place:

1. All kinds of stuff like dirty socks and toys get shoved under the bed or behind dressers. Good. Make them wear the dirty clothes until they get made fun of at school and then they will probably obey

2. They will argue over who messed up what. Argue with whom...You? There is no argument. My way is how it is and that's that. You argue with me, you get slapped on the mouth

3. Then they will say things like " Well, I cleaned MY side" I make mine work as a team. Did you ask them to respond like that. I believe you asked them to clean their room, not make any comments while doing it

4. Sometimes the arguments become physical. mad.gifI am hoping you mean with each other. The 12 yr old should take charge. He should tell that little 9 yr old to stop his whining and clean up his room or I'll pop you in the mouth

5. And after many hours of "cleaning"....the room looks clean.....but DON'T open the closet door or under the bed!!!! I do this thing called "Mt. Suribachi". If I/we tell our kids to clean their room...which is everynight before bedtime....and they don't do it, the next day when they want to go outside and play or whatever, ol Dad re-builds Mt. Suribachi. I take litterly everything in their room and build a mountain. That get's them real mad but it get's my point across because now they are spending all night sorting through it.

Any tips for this frazzled Mom??? Yeah, take charge of the situation. It's either your way or no way and that's final. Where's the dad if I may ask. Not meaning to sound like a mean guy but the parents are in charge at my house. Any other way is un-constitutional grin.gif. You must lay the ground rules. At that age, there shouldn't be any question anyway confused.gif...they should be on automatic piliot by now. Just my honest opinion. But then again, they do have a Jarhead for a Dad grin.gif...But I am not mean. We have a lot of fun but it took about 6 years to get them to where I want them though...which is automatic piliot. They know what to do and when to do it by now...for the most part anyway wink.gif

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You just gotta love D.I's

You da Man "Guns"!!! I love it!

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Re: Did you clean your room?

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

And maybe a few tips on how to cleverly punish them for doing the stupid stuff like hiding the socks behind the dresser.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh ok. I do things like make them hold their arms out while holding books. That there usually makes them listen. If they smart mouth you, grab the side of thier lip where it meets the cheek and pull and twist.

I make them also drive cars and fish. Drive cars by making them put their back up to the wall while squatting down without their butt touching their feet and they hold a book out like they are driving. Make them fish by doing the same thing except they hold out a broom instead of a book.

Put your oldest one in charge and hold him accountable. If the job doesn't get done...even if the job was tasked to the younger boy, punish the oldest for it as well. After a while, he will get tired of being punished for his younger brother and they will start to work as a team. Worked for my boys wink.gif

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Hey Mike, is driving the car anything like watching TV???? grin.gifgrin.gifgrin.gif

that is hilarious, and here I am thinking I was the only one around that even thought of making their kids do this stuff!!!

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Re: Did you clean your room?

Hey if it worked for 18yr old nasty recruits, it's gotta work for kids grin.gif

Hey, my kids wouldn't want any other Dad. I am hard but fair and we have alot of fun together and that's what counts wink.gif

We are about to indoctinate combat swim qual if they don't start taking their baths right shocked.gif. When they get out the shower or bath, I go up and smell their armpits. If I don't soon start smelling about two layers of Zest, we are going to do it outside with the hose cool.gif

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