h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thank god I am lazy

I don't tidy my kids rooms - they are old enough (19, 18, 13). And since there are only 2 rooms for 3 kids of course no 1 is complaining that his sister left something in his room when she used it (forgetting about the 1000 things he leaves there). Eldest son's room is the worst - but I simply don't go in there. The other room is mostly okay, at least I can reach my wardrobe (I have to remind them every now and then though that I have to be able to reach it).

They don't put their clothes into the bathroom to get washed? Not my problem - I don't wear their clothes, do I?

Only thing I really look after is that there is no old food left in the room. And no plates, bowls, knives, forks, spoons. I once didn't cook dinner because there was no plate left in my cupboard and they all had to do the washing up that evening - so by now they do return the things to the kitchen.

Sho, just buy a large bottle of valerian

I have valerian at work - honestly, I often pop one when my boss arrives...

I've given up. I will go through both rooms with a sack this weekend.

It might be easier to hose down the rest of the house and throw a burning rag into the window!

Get yourself a Hazmet suit Sho, me and mum often have a laugh over that advert when we venture into Alex's room

I'm with matodermi - as long as the lads' rooms are food and crockery free, then it's up to them to ensure (once they've run out of clean clothes, of course) to put their dirty laundry into the bin - how else would I know if their stuff needed washing?

I've a strong stomach and a sense of humour, but I can't face their rooms - they're the pits. Their porn books are hidden under their mattresses (where I told them to keep them) but son no 2's walls are covered in pictures of scantilly clad young ladies. It's awonder that lad ever sleeps

As long as they keep their room doors firmly closed, so I don't have to see their mess, we can all live with ourselves

And about once every six months...or when they bring home friends they want to impress, there's a massive decoke, and all *sorts of things they've lost come to light

Mind you, on occaisions, shooting the untidy, mucky little s does seem like a good option....

I've just remembered we are seeing a very old friend of mine (from about 20 years ago) on Monday - so the girls will probably tidy their room a bit more in anticipation of that.

in the meantime I'm trying not to sweat it.

the discussion about tidying up reminds me of my youth

My father once threw all the books in my shelves on the floor, thinking that then I would have to tidy up. (the shelves were the only place that was orderly)

What have I done?
Put the books back into the shelves - and left the rest untouched. Then I put up a sign at my door saying: my room is my castle.

My father wrote unterneath it: then treat it like one.

That was the end of the discussion (at least for some time)

my dad was a sergeant major

then I went to boarding school

by the time I was in the army myself, there was nothing they could teach me about bed-making and tidying and polishing

There's no point, really. If *they can live in a clutter...and it doesn't infringe on communal living space, then basically, all you can do is hope they'll choose to be tidy for themselves, eventually.

I remember my mum nagging me something rotten about being untidy when I was a kid, so I remained deliberately untidy until I left home, out of sheer stubbornness. It was *my room, *my space, my haven. I didn't want her invading it.

And on the rare occaisions she*does visit me, I never make an effort to tidy up especially for her.

I'd hate her to see she had any influence on me at all.

But then, I'm recalcitrant...and I resented being nagged.

Well, I did that, apart from the joining the army bit myself.

I still pin my socks together (see Bel's sock thread for details. No, they don't rust).

RF

I've done none of those things... but I still "marry up" the lads socks (I sort of fold them into each other) before I return their baskets of clean clothes *just outside their bedroom doors.

Having said that, the "Bacholer Socks" (Box) where I dump all the odd ones are threatening to join a dating agency. There are some going back 2 or 3 years.

One day my mucky little Herberts will actually have a Cull from beneath their beds. Who knows what wonders they'll expose?

Failing that... if I'm really lucky they might leave home

the socks or the boys?

I always go into an operatic solo of "The Orphan Socks", (parodying The Orphan Boy from Pirates of Penzance) when rounding up those poor little single socky wocks.

>>the socks or the boys?<<

Both, with a bit of luck

- the lads 'll need a bit of a shove, but the socks could probably walk out easily enough under their own steam

Sho, are they a bit more sorted? I've come in late to the convo (darn internet connection!!) but as a serial messer as a child, my Mum had a few good strategies! Harsh, but fair.

Tuesday night was D-Day. At 7pm precisely, my mum would go up to the room and ruthlessly put anything on the floor in a black bag and put it in the bin. No exceptions, no excuses, no whining that this or that was needed. There was a warning reminder at around 5.30 that it would happen and if you didn't get your ass in gear and clean, then all your toys, books, games and favourite clothes were turfed. Forever! ('cept for the few precious or very sentimental things which she reclaimed and were stuck in the loft for a year or so until we'd learned.)

Her theory was that the weekend was for family 'easy-going' stuff, Mondays were back at school days, but by Tuesday everything should be sorted.

The one thing my mum says now is that she never had to close a door when there were visitors! The bathroom was beyond all the bedrooms and guests had to pass each one to get there.

oh that sounds good

They are getting better but each night I still have to struggle accross the floor

I might discuss that one with them

Yes I used to have a Sunday night inspection ritual - on which a bonus to pocket money depended!

Just started re-reading Stephen Covey's 7 habits of families. Some good stuff about perspective in there.

oh I think I'll order that

so I floated the Tuesday Evening Inspection idea

"THAT'S SO UNFAIR" and two giant temper tantrums

Get them to explain why exactly it's unfair!

And unfair to who?

Get a pair of pattens to bear you over the mess.

http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/974/70015379.JPG

If you crush anything, it's their problem