Despite rules, kids, no matter the age, no how to create chaos.
To quote Phyllis Diller, “Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.”
I am not a neat freak. Sure, I like things somewhat organized, and I’ll drop what I’m doing to perform a 60-second bathroom cleaning when it’s necessary, but otherwise, I don’t obsess over the house being clean all the time. After all, it takes a lot of time to keep it clean with two kids, a husband and four furry pets – and the mess will still be there tomorrow.
But I have one pet peeve that I basically refuse to budge on. When it comes to taking out toys from their storage place, as well as crafts, projects and the like, the mess that’s created must be completely picked up before the kids move on to the next thing. And I’m not the one who is going to pick it up, even though I know I will do it more quickly and thoroughly.
This has been a rule in our house since our children, now 10 and 8, were toddlers. I would have thought that by now, the kids would comply, but it’s proving tougher that I would have expected.
The kids were recently home for a day off from school. Since they had been sick, I didn’t plan anything for them, despite their pleas for play dates. And, I had to get work done at home. So, they were forced to find something to do within the confines of our home, which is sometimes much more difficult than it should be.
Even at their ages, I sometimes offer suggestions on what they could do to stay busy. I suggest all the toys and activities in their basement playroom. I suggest going outside. Finally, I’ll suggest they do chores such as raking leaves, or practicing their math facts. Usually, they’ll quickly find something to do once those ideas are offered.
So I was happy on this particular day off when I came out of my office to find them happily playing a game together. I held my tongue when I saw the game’s pieces scattered across the floor, with several parts just an inch away from getting kicked under the couch. Surely, they would remember my rule of picking up your mess before you move on to another activity.
But just a few minutes later, they had a new game out. Even better, it was "Uno Attack," which shoots out cards at players and absolutely delights my children. Typically, a game of "Uno Attack" gradually transforms into a game of “let’s see how many cards we can get it to shoot out.” Madness ensues, a mess is created, and the kids quickly lose interest. They went back down to the basement, this time to take out an entire chemistry set to make slimy goo.
We now have multiple messes in just a matter of minutes.
So, I feel like a drill sergeant as I list all the things they have to take care of.
“Please pick up this game, then go pick up that mess…”
I try to put a stop to the mess creation when it first begins, so it doesn’t appear that I am a broken record constantly on repeat. But, it can look like a tornado has swept through my kitchen in a matter of minutes.
Apparently, not much changes between toddlerhood and the ‘tween years.
Kate Roy can be reached at kate_roy@live.com.