So ..... I Am a self diagnosed Clean freak. I have to clean and mop and vacuum Every Day .... if not a couple Times a day. I just love the vacuum lines!!! I hate anything on my counters, my dishes ALWAYS have to be done and NO toys can be in the front room. I have to make my bed EVERY morning and have my pillows JUST PERFECTLY placed on my bed. My bathrooms have to be cleaned at LEAST once a day. I walk through the house and if there is something out of place in another room, I close the door until I can get to it because I Can't Stand to look at it.
I have to be organized and I make Lists ALL the time......JUST so I can cross off everything and feel some sense of accomplishment for the day. My mom told me I have always been like this. I would go around telling my brothers to clean their room and I was making my bed and cleaning at 2. So 28 years later.... and NOTHING new, I'm pretty much the same....just a little more OCD.
This brings me to the REASON why I am telling all of you this. I CANNOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME KEEP MY BOYS ROOM CLEAN FOR EVEN ONE DAY. I will clean it and organize it for hours (literally hours).......just to go in before they go to bed and find this.........
This is after 1 day, and this is mild, not even as bad as it usually is. I CANNOT think of ANYTHING to make this stop happening. I Need IDEAS. ANYTHING. I AM GOING INSANE over here. I have to close thier door and most of the time there are so many things in the way I can't even CLOSE the door. So I am writing this in hopes of finding ANYTHING that maybe has helped any of you in this situation. I know there are MORE of you out there that have my same OCD problem and maybe have a couple of boys that are 100% WILD AND MESSY!!!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
ANY IDEAS?????
Posted by THE TOKI TRIBE at 9:48 PM
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17 comments:
Kindof drastic... you can take everything out (toys, extra clothes, shoes). They'll have to earn their stuff back by doing chores and other things and if they leave something on the ground it's confiscated until they earn it back. It's pretty drastic but it works for Salo.
BTW-LOve that you blogged this. I want some ideas from your million commentors.
Sarah you sound like me. Now that my kids are older I make them clean their own rooms. Sometimes it isn't to my standard but they will learn eventually. I also close the doors but at the end of the day I make them clean it up. Sometimes I try to make them clean up their mess if they want to go outside. For the rest of the house I still pick it up and try to switch it to every other day scrubbing. It has taken me awhile but actually I think moving into an apartment has changed me. Many people have told me that spending time with my children is more important than a clean house. I didn't agree but have learned to take a little bit of a chill pill.So it is ok to have a clean house just don't make yourself crazy over it.
OK, I am not going to comment on this until after your 20thousandth comment, cuz, they wil (and are) saying just what I would say, So keep em coming girls!!!! And she was like this since age 2. Didn't know about OCD then. Remember this~ It got me through most stuff with you kids, "It's not the end of the world"
Love you!
Oh my friend, I feel your pain! I AM EXACTLY the same way!!!! LOL! I had the same issue with my little ladies, so what we did was take out ALL toys from their rooms. We left the books in there, but we made sure that their rooms were more for quiet time. Then in the toy room everything, and I am totally OCD too, was labeled. So at the end of the day the girls were responsible for putting it all in the right spot, if not it was mine. Harsh, I know but they only did it twice. Now they are a little more clean freaks than I am. But I think that boys are a lot different than girls are. Girls seem to care more about things like that. How do you put their toys away in their room? As far as keepin things clean, Caleb totally mellowed me out. I have a weekly list so I do 1 hour of housework a day, then I am done. When my kids were little it always seemed like I was constantly picking up the same toys, over and over again, but it gets better. Hang in there!!! You are awesome!
I am with Maele - strip 'em of their world and make them earn it back. I would do this after working with them for a week, having them help you clean the room every day, talking about how they are big enough to be responsible, etc. then enforce it.
I wish I had your drive to clean! My bed gets made when I change the sheets, when Jerry is home and does it or when I just feel like it should be done. I figure it's a lot of energy to spend on something no one ever sees and that I will deconstruct when I climb back in it 12 hours later. :)
Oh man, your description of your day sounds exactly like mine. Love vaccuum lines and love to cross things off of lists. Mop my kitchen every day, and if not for lack of time and energy, would vaccuum morning and night, so now it is only morning. Have to wipe my bathrooms down daily, beds are always made, toys stay in the basement, not allowed in my living room. Do you have a toy room? I do, and there are locks on the cabinets. Kids are only allowed to have one box of toys out at a time, and have to clean it up before they can get something else out. What about earning tickets by keeping things cleaned up that they can use the tickets for tv time or video game time? I have thrown a lot of things away cause they didn't get them cleaned up by the time the timer went off - I HATE polly pockets (so many little pieces) that they are all in the trash now. Good luck!
WOW! Sounds like all of your blogger buddies are self-proclaimed clean freaks too....that is so not the case for me! I'm a clean...nut,let's say. I like my house clean and orderly but have learned to just let things be. I was always cleaning, vacuuming, moping, wiping counters, cleaning toilets etc. and found myself always angry and yelling at my kids to 'don't make a mess'! I felt bad when I looked at my kids face full of horror of getting in trouble whenever they would accidently spill something. I just decided to let it go. They have chores to do everday when they come home from school which rotates from sweeping, vacumming, emptying the trash, picking up their toys and yes...folding their own blankets. It's not exactly how I would have it but at least they're learning responsibilty and the house gets semi-clean. So now my kids know, if they want to play outside or play video games their work has to be done. It doesn't always go as smooth as I would like, I still have to be on top of them to do it but for the most part it gets done and I'm happy. You know what they say...If Momma's not happy, ain't NOBODY happy! Good luck!
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah.. I am so glad we are the same with messes.. When we moved back to A-town, I didn't give the kids ANY toys because of this exact problem. .. I have now gradually added toys to there rooms, with the exception that they keep them clean and organized!! If I notice a mess, and they don't keep them clean then I take them back away and then the kids seem to get more creative ways to play anyways and don't even miss the toys.. My kids and your oldest three are gettin big enough to start cleanin up after themselves.. I had a hard time lettin the mess sit until they were done playin before cleanin up, but after a few years of Me yelling and going crazy, I just decided it was worth the wait!! good luck!!
Well it's great hearing all the views of others. You know what I think so if you need any help just call me over and I can help you organize.I think it's very important to have a space for your kids. They need to be a able to play like kids but definitely not tear the place apart. You may find that this will help you clean less and you will have more time for the kids like you want.
You know whats funny is I remember when we were little and Amy I would be playing at your house and you would be cleaning.. haha
O my gosh Sarah people want to talk about clean houses I guess. I don't really have this problem. My kids are perfect. JK!!!! I don't keep toys in their room and they put dirty clothes away BUT they do take the covers off their beds (the 2 little ones) randomly to make forts. Actually as we speak there is a pillow on my back porch. Excuse me while I yell at one of them...Ok that's my suggestion. My kids have to do their chores before breakfast or dinner and its just routine. Good luck trying all these suggestions.
Oh goodness, I am there with you. Hey, that is how I get my excercise and crunches, by picking up toys allllllllll day. The girls rooms get like that daily and I just close the door until one of us feels like cleaning it. You are much more clean and organized than I am so it propapbly really drives you nuts! Good luck! I wish I knew what to tell you, just know one day our houses will be like Model Homes and then we will be sad... I think:)
I hear you. That picture looks like my boys room right now. I finally gave up on cleaning it every day. BUT--I do make them spend a little time each day cleaning it up. It may not be done perfectly or exactly the way I want it but it does make it livable and it looks somewhat clean. I change it up everyday. SOmetimes I'll ask them to each pick up 15 things or I'll assign one kid to pic up all the small toys and the other to do the big ones. I find that if I just make it a little fun for them or make a game out of it, then I dont have to do it ALL myself. Hopefully you'll be able to find something that works, I KNOW how tiring it is to try to keep BOYS rooms clean. I have a feeling it will be something I will struggle with until they leave and get married. Even then who knows.
Sarah I think you got all the advice you need. The best thing is to be alittle harsh. And yes if you have to throw something away it is ok its good for them. You know I am the same way, but my kid know that if it is not cleaned up it is mine. ( and that means in the trash) Good luck
Well, I've been there and done that with 3 boys of my own.
It looks like you've gotten a lot of advice as to how to keep the boys rooms picked up. It's a battle that will be ongoing. I'll just add to your list of comments that looking at it from where I am now in my life....trust me when I say that you will have many many years where their rooms will look perfect after they are grown and gone and on their own and then you'll be able to enjoy a perfect house.
So I just read all your comments. I like Gails comment. It is so true we get so frustrated with the messes and chores, but before we know it, it will be over. Try to just enjoy your time with them. It might help to do a chore chart or reward system for them. I didn't know you were that crazy with your cleaning. I feel like I am clean but not that obsessed. Well I better mop before Koen wakes up. Boys are boys!
I'm laughing right now because I had no clue you were so OCD about cleaning! I do remember you and Cara's room was always clean at Raintree. I wish I were more OCD about cleaning. I deep clean once a week and just pick up things and organize throughout the week. Don't make yourself crazy girl! Hopefully it's not too late. Totally kidding.
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