Let me start off the post by saying I love pigs. I think they are smart and cute. Let’s get real…their pens…they are a mess. Sometimes I look around my house and think that I may be living in a pig pen. Kids laying around…eating…messes everywhere. It is gross and frustrating. Scanning the rooms one would see things plopped and not one single person is making an attempt to pick the items up. Well, there is slight movement among the troops if I threaten to throw the items away. Then they will reluctantly put their belongings away. And “by away” I mean haphazardly thrown into a drawer, under the bed, or in a closet.
When my grandma was alive I remember hearing her tell stories of having to dump the dresser drawers so that things would be put away correctly. As a student, I remember my teacher threatening to dump desks if they became to messy. So I know “slobbiness” is not a new thing.
Drawing on my past chore experience and what I know from teaching, here are my strategies:
- Be consistent
- Assign tasks or chores: be fair and detailed in what you expect
- Don’t nag or “cue”. Example: instead of saying “Please put the glass in the dishwasher”…ask “What needs to be done here?”
- Stop stepping in and doing for them
- Praise, praise, praise
Doing for your kids is not the answer. At some point, they will need to figure it out and do for themselves. I am certainly doing my kids no favor by letting our current situation continue. These next few weeks as they adjust to the new norm of cleaning up after themselves will put them into shock. They will fuss…probably try to ignore me…but I will persevere. One of the things I know my kids aren’t counting on…I am stubborn….especially when I know I am right. I am right on this one for sure!
“Cleanliness is next to Godliness”~well at least in my book it is!
Life in Snippets 
Ok, teacher mom….do you have a graphic of your chore chart to share? I need some inspiration 🙂
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🎉🎉🎉. Great article. But, it is difficult to change from being a “pig” all of a sudden. My feeling is reding up or putting things back where they belong should start early on. It starts with baby steps when little and progress. From starting with putting a book or toy back where it belongs to hanging up a towel and so on and on and on as child gets older. Nevertheless 🎉🎉🎉🍷🍷👍
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“Cleanliness is next to Godliness” If this is the case, welcome hell I will be your host, Satan, Lucifer, Diablo, which ever you prefer.
-B
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