If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m often guilty of taking the path of least resistance. I’m big on shortcuts when driving. I’m all for “semi-homemade.” And I have composed many passive-aggressive e-mails that have saved me from face-to-face confrontations.
The problem with taking the path of least resistance (let’s call it PLR) is that it never really deals with the problem at hand. Here’s my current dilemma: To clean or not to clean. I am talking, my friends, about my kids’ bedrooms.
It would not be a stretch to say that, at one time or another, my kids' bedrooms could be considered potentially hazardous and toxic. I have, indeed, found items on their bedroom floors that could not be identified without help from a local crime lab. Suffice it to say, they can get really gross.
And it really bugs me. It really bugs me.
So, like any mom, I have approached the messy bedrooms in a few different ways: I have nagged. I nagged until I almost yelled at myself to stop whining. Then I yelled. I yelled until the dog was cowering under the coffee table. I have threatened but I think there’s something in the Geneva Convention on whether or not I could carry out my threats. Finally, I resorted to PLR. I cleaned it myself.
I know, I caved. I totally broke the mom code and just did the deed myself. Yes, I felt like a hypocrite and yes I thought long and hard about the message I was sending. (Welcome to Camp Mom, enjoy the free maid service!)
And no, it wasn’t easy. In fact, it was gross. Somebody needs to invent laundry tongs because going through the clothes on the floor and determining what is dirty and what was tried on and rejected can be downright nasty.
Sure there are privacy issues. Teens deserve privacy, to a certain extent. That is, until most of their underwear is still on their bedroom floor and there is an excellent chance that they’ll go to school “commando” if that laundry isn’t put down the chute.
The thing is, as a mom, you pick and choose what to stress about…at least I do. I could make a huge deal about the messy room. Or, I could take care of it myself from time to time and hope that the de-cluttering message absorbs into them by osmosis. Hey, I can dream, can’t I?
What about you? How have you tackled the great room debate – to clean or not to clean? Does your kid's room drive you nuts?
