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Clean or not to clean

Adviceneed1234's picture

Ok so this may seem silly, but does anyone out there request their SS or SD to have their room picked up and clothes in the hamper before they go to the other parents house?

Orange County Ca's picture

Well my kids didn't have a room when they came over for weekend visits plus they had to take everything home or Mom would miss it.

With my step daughters their room was the one place they were not criticized as to how it was kept. They had to live it in and suffer any consequences of slothfulness.

Stuff left in public places such as the living room often disappeared causing great consternation and making them late for school. Somehow it always ended up behind the couch or at the bottom of the entry way closet - etc. Rarely did it happen twice.

Disneyfan's picture

Nope

DF is a neat freak. His kids know he will flip out if they leave a mess around our house.

BarkAtTheMoon's picture

We shut the bedroom doors for SD13 and SD19, and they live here FT. Back when they visited, we did the same thing. Now that they are under our roof, I have started throwing things out. Thing is, SD19 leaves her laptop laying around as well as a dirty wristlet with car keys attached.

How I would LOVE to toss either one of those things, but I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face. }:)

~ Moon

hereiam's picture

SD's room, which was also our spare TV room, was always clean (thanks to me) when she arrived and it was her responsibility to clean it before she left.

GhostWhoCooksDinner's picture

Yup. SS15 has to have his crap picked up before he leaves. DH's rule, not mine. But I don't want to have to look at the stuff he leaves lying around for two weeks till he comes back.

CantKeepDoingThis's picture

This is an issue that I have mixed feelings on. If her mess in her room truly did not affect me, it would be different. Problems I have are:

1) Smells...some fowl smells come from SheSloth's room! SheSloth will leave food and milk-based drinks in her room until it starts to rot or sour. DH will not put down his foot about any rules, including no food or drink other than water in the bedroom.

2) Pests...such as spiders and ants...and when such pests migrate to other parts of the house, or destroy perfectly good clothing (as ants will do by eating holes in them) and then our bank account takes a hit because of it. Ants can also cause damage to electrical and such once they start having fun in a space, and could cause us other issues.

Like some others, SheSloth also doesn't pick up her crap around the rest of the house. Girl is a slob and a half! The bathroom she uses is the hall bathroom that guests would use when they come over, so we expect that SheSloth keep that clean, but she never does.

Adviceneed1234's picture

Thanks everyone! My DH requests this of my SD so she can start off on the right foot when she comes back to our house and not to feel overwhelmed. We were told that its stupid for us to request this.

hereiam's picture

Why would it be stupid to teach kids some responsibility? Whoever told you that is stupid.

Adviceneed1234's picture

BM

Rags's picture

That is a reasonable requirement. My Skid had to keep his room clean as I was required to when I was a teen. Clean for a teen is relative though but as long as it was presentable that was adequate.

BarkAtTheMoon's picture

Sally, I like the idea of your Mall stores! I take a quick breath, hold it, open the door, and aim the Febreze towards the center of the room when SD19 isn't around. SD13's room with a hamster smelled better than SD19's. I think it was all of the dirty thongs laying around. TGIHB, I may have some items for your store. }:)

~ Moon

BarkAtTheMoon's picture

Actually the hamster was found dead this past weekend in SD13's room, and SD13's room still smelled better than SD19's.

And she's been away at school for a week already!

OrangeUGlad's picture

I don't do sd's laundry, dh does. I don't clean sd's room. It is usually clean enough, but if not, I just close the door.

I do help them with organizing once in a while and I do throw in some of sd's stuff when I do mine, but these aren't my responsibility.

The only rule *I* have regarding sd's bedroom (and MINE) is no food or drinks (other than water). Other than that, I don't care what her room is like.