As parents we are always looking for a little vindication, right? Especially when our kids have done something that really sets us on edge and yet, we have acted calmly, rationally . . . or at least not pitched a toddler-style fit of our own?
I've got some good news for parents who have thrown up their hands at their kids' messy rooms.
At least your kid isn't twenty-eight, living at home and in need of some tips on how to tame the trash. Oh yeah, and at least you haven't called the cops to make your kid get his tuchas in gear.
It's exactly what a dad in Ohio did last week, calling 911 in utter frustration at his adult son. He's since apologized, but I'm not sure whether to feel sorry for the dad or pull a Cher a la Moonstruck and tell the man to "snap out of it."
I'm imagining a twenty-eight-year-old man who can't get off his butt and clean up his room now couldn't do it back in his first go-round of living home with dad. Which puts all the arguments over my daughter's messy room in a whole new light. Everytime we go another go-round, I figure I'm saving my daughter from an adulthood of being a disgusting slob.
Because it can be much easier to just give in and clean your kid's room. I remember doing it back when I shared a room with my little brother, throwing in the towel after weeks long stand-offs that involved him continuing to throw clothes and toys on the floor. I responded with trash bag in hand. Ah, revenge was sweet (midnight walks to the bathroom without stubbing my toe were even sweeter).
With my daughter, I've managed so far to stand my ground. She's just shy of four, so we're still at a point where we clean her room together, but she plays a big role in that process. We assign particular roles, and she sets off on stuffed animal duty or packing her dress-up clothes back in the dress-up trunk. Will I ever give up and spend an afternoon in the room with a trash bag in hand? Theoretically, it could happen, but I'd like to think that early years of pitching in will lead to do-it-yourself versions in her teen years.
Do you make your kids clean their rooms or do you do it for them?
Image: Boston Globe
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