I have tried not to be too OCD about the cleaning this holiday. I tidy up every day but do a proper clean every second day – floors, bathrooms etc. I actually really don’t mind it – 2 hours tops and it’s all done and then I know it’s done my way.
I conducted a small challenge of sorts with my little family a few days ago. Kiara has stickers on her wall – one is a crown – it’s about A5 size. Somehow it ended up on one of our stairs. These stairs are the only set of stairs from the top floor to the ground floor – in another words we ALL walk down them every single day a few times.
So I walk over the crown and decide to see how long it remains there. Now the sticker was brightly coloured and made from cardboard – so very visible.
Day 1 – sticker remains where it is.
Day 2 – sticker unmoved.
Day 3 – sticker still in the same spot.
True story this!
I know it is Kiara’s sticker so ultimately she should be responsible BUT I pick up stuff that’s out of place that doesn’t belong to me – you would think the other inhabitants of my house would too. Appears not 🙂
I eventually moved it this morning before it becomes unable to move.
In all fairness everyone has chipped in these holidays and helped out but these little things really fascinate me – I pile everyone’s shoes up at the bottom of the stairs, with the idea that they take them on their way up. LOL I have to remind them a few times before the shoes go up.
So here is the challenge – leave something on the floor and see how long your family leaves it there and then let me know!!!
12 Responses
Hahaha, I think I managed 2 weeks on something before I eventually picked it up. (I’d actually pick it up, clean under it, and put it back). My husband would often complain about the kids things lying around (while he ignores his own things), and when I tell him to just pick it up he’ll say it isn’t his. Like an 18 month old is good at cleaning after himself. Although the 18 month old seem to do a better job than the 4 year old….but the 18 month old throws everything in the dustbin.
I do the same with the shoes at the bottom of stairs, but nobody ever takes it up and I end up taking it upstairs when kids don’t have any other shoes to wear.
I have done this already a few times before. My kids don’t pick up those things at all, only if I tell them to do so. It irritates me so much … grrrr
I wouldn’t be able to relax. I’ve left something before for a few hours and then I cave.
You know my trick – I don’t feed them til the place is tidy 🙂 Hungry people are very motivated.
There is a mother who went on strike – google it she was in Canada – her story went viral but it wasn’t very long before the kids twigged and started doing their bit
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/08/jessica-stilwell-mom-on-strike_n_1948603.html
(I read her whole blog when the story broke :))
I know for a fact that it would stay there until the helper picked it up!
In my house, stuff like that winds up in the trash. “Oh, sorry, you didn’t take care of it, so I didn’t think you wanted it anymore.” The kids learn to tidy their things quickly!
LOL! That is a big challenge for me, because I always find myself tidying up. I might have to give this a try and see. 🙂
Kelly
Our Everyday Harvest
Bwahahaha! yeah right! I don’t think my kids have EVER taken something that I have left on the stairs! My fam would win this challenge hands down! 🙂 I just love your blog! Now following you on Twitter from the blog hop!
Thanks Laura!
Katie ~ http://dysfunctionsjunction.com
This will never work for me…I do have another trick up my sleeve though. I tell Nicola to put away her toys when she’s done playing witg them or if I have to pick them up they’re going to the bin. Of course if you want this to be taken seriously you actually have to chuck something once…in our case it was a whole basket of bath toys. Now it works just fine. 😉
I think if I left something, it would stay there forever, ha-ha!
I know exactly what would happen in my home. The item would remain JUST THERE. However, I don’t pick it up – I refuse. I go bos and make the offender pick it up.
HA HA HA HA
Lucky me, my helper is very OCDish and would pick things up even if you were trying to prove a point!!!
I would love to accept your challenge but that pair of socks will end up staying on the living room floor until they become nasty enough to walk themselves to the washing basket.