There are days when I wonder what possessed me to eagerly desire having girls. I certainly didn't ask seasoned parents which gender would be the easier to deal with in each stage of life! I'm glad, though, that God decided that we needed to have our boy last. He knew we would need that precious boy to make us all laugh.
This week's storm with Miss Mischief was over the state of her bedroom. I went in there one afternoon and found rubbish. A supermarket bag's worth...to be begin with at least. Five hours later Miss Mischief finally went to sleep. That's the only thing that put a stop to the argument that ensued upon her discovery that something was slightly amiss in her room. I'll never know how she could tell the difference. I couldn't see where I'd been! She was highly offended that I'd had the audacity to think of throwing away discarded packaging from October birthday presents and old empty envelopes. She refused to accept her responsibility that led me to do this. The fact that for 3 months we have been asking her to tidy her room. Had she done that I wouldn't have been in there.
Two days later I bit the bullet and went for broke. She still hadn't lifted a finger to tidy her room, so I went in there and went through everything. I hung clothes that had been flung into her wardrobe. I found any number of white socks that she couldn't seem to find on her own. I found more rubbish to throw away. I put all her crafty things in one wire basket drawer, and odds & ends in the other. I bought a pretty basket with pink gingham lining to go under her bed so that she has somewhere to put whatever it is that finds it's way under there.
By the end of an hour I had the room spotless, the bed made, the floor vacuumed and all sorts of long lost items found and put away. I was expecting Cyclone Tracy from her when she came home from school to find what I'd done, especially after the antics of two afternoons before!
You know what? She came out and hugged me and said "Thank you Mum". You could've pushed me other with a feather.
2 comments:
Oh so familiar...! My daughter is almost 18 and thankfully keeps her room nice and clean nowadays...but oh, the struggles we had in the past!
One day, after yet another 'showdown' with her about the clutter, dust, rubbish, etc...I decided to stop cleaning up after her. At first it was terrible...but she soon got tired of living in squallor and cleaned up her act!! You need to be brave to attempt it though!
So glad you stopped by my blog, I love the way the Lord brings Christians together!
(31c???? I feel faint thinking about it!)
Love, Tina :)
We tried the 'shut the door' approach. She stood on a pompom maker spike ~ it went into her food 1.5cm. It was getting dangerous in there!!!!!! It's nice to hear that there is some hope at the end of childhood though.
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