Hot Mess Mom » Stellar Parenting Advice, Ways I know I'm failing as a parent » this morning’s parenting lesson
this morning’s parenting lesson
Oh. My. God!
The boys and I are heading to the beach today for a few nights with friends. I’m packing up, making breakfast, loading the ice chest and doing one last load of laundry.
I gave Numbers Two and Three a trash bag and told them to go clean out the car.
Number Two: What do we have to clean?
Me: Just get everything out of the car… start in the way back.. do both rows of seats and then anything in the front.
Number Two: WE didn’t get the front dirty!! I’m only going to do the back rows of seats. The front and the way back are your areas.. You use those!
So I glared at him, and right before I started to scream at that little bastard… my genius light-bulb went off….. I calmly walked into the laundry room, stopped the washer, starting pulling out all of the soaking wet clothes that were not mine and throwing them on the floor.
Me: You’re right. I will go clean ‘my areas’ of the car. You come do your laundry, ‘cuz I haven’t worn any of this shit… so clearly it is not my responsibility to clean it. And also.. YOUR clothes are making a mess on the floor.. so you can clean that too.
He stared at me, grabbed the trash bag, said “Come on Number Three..we need to go clean the car” and walked out the door.
EVEN with mopping up the laundry room floor~~ WINNING! 
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Filed under: Stellar Parenting Advice, Ways I know I'm failing as a parent
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OMG– I am rolling on the floor. I just had that conversation with my Number 2 — who is 15!! Rather than the yelling match we had I should have done what you did! Lesson Learned! Have a great time at the beach! That is what we did that resulted in the re-cleaning out of the car.
yes. a thousand times yes.
Hell to the yes! I almost hope I gets one back talk today so I can use that.
I have said the same thing to my kids. At least similar…
Blue Eyes says, “I don’t feel like having meatloaf for dinner”
awesome mom says, “I don’t feel like cooking or cleaning or washing your clothes. I really don’t FEEL like paying your tuition either. Actually, I don’t FEEL like going grocery shopping or putting gas in the car. I’m not feeling like bringing you anywhere this week and I didn’t feel like paying the cable or electric bill. Its going to be a long hot summer for you, beautiful Blue Eyes.”
She ate the meatloaf. Unfortunately, I threw too much into that lecture so we have had the same argument many times since….fuckers.
Same conversation at my house this morning. Only it was “go clean up the mess in your room and brush your teeth! I’m sick of repeating myself.”
#1- “Why? What have you done for me today?”
Me – “Lets see, I’ve been doing laundry since 3am cause you’re almost 10 and you pee-d your bed last night and I’ve had to wash all the piss soaked bed linens!”
#1 – “oh yeah, that. Ok. I’ll do it.”
seriously.
Oh man.
The day one of mine says “what have YOU done for ME lately?” is the day they will be sitting on the curb with a hefty bag of their shit in 3 minutes flat..if they are lucky enough that I let them take any of it.
I figure a good 20 min out there in 105 degrees will ‘encourage’ an attitude adjustment.
Genius lightbulb idea for sure!!
Love, love, love this mama! Lucky for me, mine is still young enough that the look still works but will be committing this idea to memory.
LMAO!!! I just had this same with my little 1 & 2 ..
You go Momma!
OK– I teach and had to call in a parent about a student’s dropping grades. The student thought the 70% wasn’t so bad. The parent agreed and said 70% would be just fine. The next day, the parent drove the student 70% of the way to school and made the kid get out of the car. The parent did 70% of the laundry for the kid– one sock, no underwear, that kind of thing. The parent fed the kid 70% of the dinner– ketchup, bun, no hamburger, and so forth. Grades improved quickly! Love your laundry response.
Pray you end up with the rest of their kids in your class because it seems like all I hear is how it’s the teachers fault that their stepford children didn’t get a higher grade instead of owning the fact their kids are lazy, don’t do the work and won’t take responsibility for their actions…wonder where they get that from?!
Lol! We have the same parenting style. My oldest will tell you what it feels like to have wet laundry on her bed.
try on their bed with them in it. Oh yeah, I’m awesome.