drastic measures

There comes a time in every mother's life when she has gone beyond anger and desperation.

There comes a time when reason alone must rule.

I went into the boys' room this morning in order to collect a bit of inevitable laundry. It turned into an exercise of futility with significant use of my old rock climbing skills.

I blew several fuses, veins, etc. And then reason took over. I wrote this to post on their door.

Boys,

You are not to go anywhere or do anything that you enjoy until you work together to get this room CLEAN and KEEP IT THAT WAY. What is going on in here regarding clutter goes beyond health code violations.

You are to put your mattress pads and sheets on your beds properly and you are to keep them that way, pillowcases, included.

You are to have nothing on your floor.

You are to vacuum and dust. Clothes go properly in their drawers and closet.

You are NOT to castigate, insult, or blame each other for any of it, because you are both responsible for the horrendousness from one end of the room to the other. If I hear yelling or arguing, you will both lose something of value to you. I know where you live in your likes and dislikes and will use this knowledge accordingly.

Papers you want to save go in a drawer of the file cabinet. Choose a drawer and put a sticker with your name on it, try to keep the papers standing up, like in folders.

Your bed shelves are to be cleaned out, and trash thrown out outside.

You are to keep this note on your door until such time as you can show me you can each and together keep your room orderly and clean.

If you rip it off, you will lose screen time for a week. And I will print another and post it again.

I love you and am not going to yell about this. It is a fact of life that you are responsible for your personal hygiene.

So be it.

Mom

There is something much more scary to them when I don't yell. I am not even going to say a word. That should chill them to their very bones.

When they come home from school and take care of walking the dog and mowing the lawn, they are not to be seen or heard, but for the shuffling sounds of cleaning, until such a time as I can see the floor, made beds and clothes and crap all put away. The end.