Well, here are some things I have learned along the way.......
Items that I find laying on the floor must not be of value to anyone, so they are immediately dumped in the trash.
Little kids work cheap and are easily impressed. A quarter buys me a diaper change for the child of my choice.
Every time I walk by the washing machine, I feel compelled to put some laundry in, take some laundry out, but never, ever fold it.
Adults do not fold laundry in my kingdom. (of course this isn't me, mom's don't iron in my kingdom either).
Clean towels must be hidden and only given out one at a time. Otherwise, the greedy little monsters will decorate my bathroom floor with clean towels every 5 minutes.
If you want to eat, then you have load and unload the dishes. My job is not to provide you with a clean plate.
To be on the safe side, keep a secret roll of toilet paper for yourself hidden behind the Milk of Magnesium.
Never reveal to your toddler where your toothbrush is.
Teenagers must work for wi-fi.
Refrigerators are easy to clean when you have a teenager in the house because they eat all the food.
Cats make great dusters. Simply throw some cat treats under the bed and watch the kitties go to work.
Socks are the bane of my existence, so all socks in the family go in one big bin and it's treasure hunt time!
And finally, my very favorite sentence to be uttered by my kids, "Mom, I'm bored!" I always have a solution for that!
Anyone have any tips of their own to share?
the very best fad to ever ever come around is the mixed matched socks!
ReplyDeleteI agree!!!
DeleteI heard somewhere to safety pin pairs of socks together before throwing them in the wash. It sounded like a good idea at the time!
ReplyDeleteIf you're fighting with a sibling, it means you need to spend more time with them to practice getting along. I always provide a chore they can work on TOGETHER. If they need more practice, I can always find more work.
ReplyDeleteAnnouncing that you won't be leaving for the park (or swimming pool or splash pad or wherever the kids WANT to go) until the house is cleaned up is great motivation to get the job done.
And for socks, I just do white. For everyone. Then matching consists of finding the same colored "Hanes" label on the toes, which is substantially easier in a family our size than having lots of patterned socks that have only one match. :)
I keep a large plastic tub in my closet, any toy left downstairs, goes into it for time out. Every Sunday I have a kid put them all where they belong. The only problem is they make bigger messes on Saturday because they know they will get their things back the next day.
ReplyDeleteWhenever a child wants me to take them somewhere or to pick up a friend, I make them clean the car.
If they want computer time they have to clean the desk area, if they want WII time they have to clean the TV area, both are huge junk collecting spots.
I thought socks only tormented me. We just don't wear them in the summer, and in the fall I throw out all of our unmated socks and start over with new ones and a new plan to keep them clean and mated, 17 years of parenting, you would think I'd have hit on something that works by now:/
If you want to watch a DVD, it requires folding clothing at the same time. :)
ReplyDeleteI love bored kids too. My kids never told me they were bored because I would light up and say "GOOD, I need someone to sweep the floor" or whatever else needs done. Even my nieces and nephews have learned not to say they are bored at my house. lol.
ReplyDeleteSocks are evil. I still maintain they should sell 3 at a time for when you, inevitably, lose one. Problem solved.
ReplyDeleteI long ago resorted to white socks only....every time I buy something else, the mate to that distinctive sock disappears.
ReplyDeleteWith white, even if the sock type is different, at least the color is the same! (Of course, these are boys we are talking about, who are not in need of "cute" in the sock department). Works at our house!
White socks are my enemy. I like decorated socks, which make it easier to find its mate. At least that goes in my house. All white socks are white, and by the time I look at the pile forlornly for five, ten, twenty minutes, I feel I might be going blind... so, I leave it there and leave the "treasure hunting" to the ones who need their socks. hahahahah...
ReplyDeleteIf for some reason I do match them, I have to do it as soon as they are dry, or I get distracted chasing dust bunnies, driving away spider webs, etc... Fun post. Thanks. My kids don't like being bored, either, as they know I will find something for them to do.