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- Story Listed as: True Life For Adults
- Theme: Family & Friends
- Subject: Comedy / Humor
- Published: 06/28/2023
Clean the Room
Born 1980, F, from Eagan, MN, United StatesMy daughter was around seven or eight when this happened. Several minutes after telling my girl to clean up her room, I went to check on her. I was not happy with what I saw. Despite all my efforts to help her organize her belongings, the room was a mess. I had tried cleaning alongside her. I had tried letting her choose bins herself and helping her label them. I had tried rewards. Nothing had helped, and now she was playing in the mess of her room after being told to put her things away!
I closed the door and walked away. I was so frustrated! And then I thought: “Why is this happening?” I pictured my daughter putting a toy away, and then another toy away. I pictured her picking up a third toy and, getting distracted, playing with it rather than continuing the job of tidying her room. Well, that could be fairly easily remedied by setting a timer to go off to remind her to stay on task.
I walked back down the hall. I opened the door and knelt down next to her. “Sweetie, why don’t you clean up when I tell you to?”
She shrugged.
“Here’s what I think. I think that you want to do the right thing. I think that you start cleaning and then you see something fun and start to play, and just forget that you’re supposed to be cleaning. Is that what’s happening?”
I was so very proud of myself. I could hear the theme music from “Full House” playing in my head as I sat there with my daughter. This was going to be our moment of understanding! We were going to hug tightly and be so glad for this moment that we’d always remember!
My sweet little girl looked down. “No,” she answered. Then she lifted her head and looked straight into my eyes. “Sometimes I just don’t want to do it.”
The “Full House” music stopped abruptly. Reality smacked me in the face.
To this day we look back on that and have to laugh a bit at her honesty. And it made it much easier to take the No Excuses approach!
Clean the Room(Marla)
My daughter was around seven or eight when this happened. Several minutes after telling my girl to clean up her room, I went to check on her. I was not happy with what I saw. Despite all my efforts to help her organize her belongings, the room was a mess. I had tried cleaning alongside her. I had tried letting her choose bins herself and helping her label them. I had tried rewards. Nothing had helped, and now she was playing in the mess of her room after being told to put her things away!
I closed the door and walked away. I was so frustrated! And then I thought: “Why is this happening?” I pictured my daughter putting a toy away, and then another toy away. I pictured her picking up a third toy and, getting distracted, playing with it rather than continuing the job of tidying her room. Well, that could be fairly easily remedied by setting a timer to go off to remind her to stay on task.
I walked back down the hall. I opened the door and knelt down next to her. “Sweetie, why don’t you clean up when I tell you to?”
She shrugged.
“Here’s what I think. I think that you want to do the right thing. I think that you start cleaning and then you see something fun and start to play, and just forget that you’re supposed to be cleaning. Is that what’s happening?”
I was so very proud of myself. I could hear the theme music from “Full House” playing in my head as I sat there with my daughter. This was going to be our moment of understanding! We were going to hug tightly and be so glad for this moment that we’d always remember!
My sweet little girl looked down. “No,” she answered. Then she lifted her head and looked straight into my eyes. “Sometimes I just don’t want to do it.”
The “Full House” music stopped abruptly. Reality smacked me in the face.
To this day we look back on that and have to laugh a bit at her honesty. And it made it much easier to take the No Excuses approach!
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Shelly Garrod
08/06/2023Great story Marla. Kids do speak their mind without a seconds thought, pure honesty. Thanks for sharing. This was a fun read. Happy Short Story Star of the Week. And congrats on Author of the Month. Both well deserved.
Blessings Shelly
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Marla
08/15/2023Thank you, Shelly! :)
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Gerald R Gioglio
08/01/2023Yup...still is true, "kids say the darnest things." Sometimes brutal honesty. Nice. thanks. grg
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Marla
08/02/2023Thank you!
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Lillian Kazmierczak
08/01/2023Marla, that really had me laughing. None of my kids ever wanted to clean up. You have to admire her honesty! Thanks for reminding us that when it comes to kids we are misguided in who is running the show some days! A well- deserved short story star of the week!
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Marla
08/02/2023Thanks! :)
COMMENTS (5)