November 8, 2004
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I’ve learned that this strike is more hard on me than it is on the kids I think. We’ll see what happens this next week I suppose.
Now the reason that I say that it’s more hard on me than them is because my mom has a bad habit of getting involved in things that she shouldn’t. I would love for her to actually pick up after herself…that is what I was hoping for from everyone. Jason and I talked…well, I yelled…about this subject last night. The fact that I am the ONLY person who actually “cleans” in that house. When I say that I mean actually do a full cleaning. An example of this being, when I clean the kitchen I not only do the dishes I also clean the appliances, the table, the counter tops, the floor and the stove. Others just do the dishes…and that doesn’t even get done thoroughly most of the time.
THAT my friends is exactly what I’m talkin’ about!! Cleaning half assed!! I grew up with a father wouldn’t allow me to do ANYTHING half assed. He told that “anything worth doing is worth doing right”. He was correct. Why waste your time doing something if you’re not going to do it right?
That’s stuck with me my whole life. I learned how to do housework at the age of 5…and I’ve never been really fond of doing it, but I’ve done it none the less because I can’t stand things being cluttered or dirty! I like a tidy house…but haven’t had one of those since I was a kid…and the only reason it was that way back then is because I made it that way!
Now…before any of you start doubting this and start asking me about my mom’s involvement in all of this. Let me just say that when I was a child my mom worked two full time jobs and traveled a great deal. My dad was an alcoholic and well, didn’t exactly do a lot around the house. We lived on a farm…we had animals, we has chores (we being my older brother and me) and if we didn’t take care of things…well, it just didn’t get done and we would get the hell beat out of us by my father. So, I was in charge of cleaning the house, doing laundry and cooking…oh and anything that my brother didn’t take care of so that he didn’t get killed later. He was supposed to feed the animals (horses, dogs and cats), walk the dogs (they were outside dogs) and bed the horses down at night. He rarely got these things done on a daily basis…so usually while my dad was passed out on the couch…I would sneak out to the barn and get the horses taken care of because that was the one chore my brother hated the most.
My dad always told me that when vacuuming all of the furniture was to be moved so that the whole floor got cleaned. So I’ve always done that. I’d sweep down the stairs with a whisk broom then dust…then vacuum. My schedule was pretty hectic considering I didn’t get home from school until a quarter after 4pm each day…then I had chores to do…and get my homework done before going to bed. We usually didn’t get to bed until after 10pm each night. We got up at 5am the next morning and got our morning chores done before school as well.
Yeah…I know where I got my cleaning habits from…but my kids currently aren’t on a schedule for chores. The reason being that they have more homework than I ever did being in school and some nights it takes hours for them to get that done…so chores isn’t exactly workable during the week. However, I am asking them to just pick up after themselves. If they could just do that much…then I could get a lot more accomplished.
I had a difficult time this weekend not going ahead and just folding all of the clothes that have been sitting in baskets for a week now and putting them away. Or picking up things off of the floor and cleaning up in general. I’ll probably break down and just do it before I lose my mind…but I’m trying to not do that so that the kids will understand that they need to take care of things themselves.
Jason did the dishes yesterday…and I appreciate that very much…but like I said, he didn’t clean the entire kitchen…he just did the dishes. I explained to him that this is what I’m talking about…and this is why I’m so damn frustrated!
I don’t know…like I said, come next month I’ll be cleaning that house from one end to the other with a roll away dumpster at my side! I’ve already warned them all that they better have whatever they want to keep put away correctly or else it’s being given away or thrown away. This includes my mother…to which she said, “you better not touch anything that’s mine”…to which I replied, “then you better make sure that whatever you want to keep has found a home or has a use…because I will be going through EVERYTHING”. I mean that…
Comments (16)
Good luck
Hang in there! I know it’s hard, but just stick to your guns. It’s your house and you have the right to expect it to be kept clean to your standards.
yes you have to stick to your guns . I have one very tidy daughter but another that just lives in mess
Yes, stick by your guns, by all means.. They will realize how much Mom really does! A LOT!!!
Hang in there, my husband and I will be doing a “sweep” of our belongings soon,…they need an html countdown calendar for something like this. To make it fun
. Yeah, I like to mess around with the look of my xanga page alot
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That’s a hell of a harsh way to learn cleaning habits, Maria
Hang in there, hon 
I live in creative chaos, but it’s just me. Probably should clean before putting up a tree.
unfortunately, there’s nothing creative about our chaos… and I would have liked to have done more, but as it is I barely got the work done I had to have for today, much less get my other lesson plan which was initially due today but pushed back to Wednesday…
I’m trying honey, I really am. I wish I could do more at home.
I love you 
’tis okay baby…at least you’re trying…which is more than I can say for others in our house
I agree with you on doing it right or not at all..hope you get the help you need
I know just how you feel. I wonder if all “women of the house” have the same problem.
Can I join the boycott of housework too????
Good luck with the battle, I hope you win!
-Lorie- {v]
Awww hon you just need to stick to your ideals and not let anyone budge you from them. I once went on a strike here. lol Don’t do what I did. . . . please. . . they didn’t learn a thing. After 2 weeks I could not handle it and I did it all, the dishes were going to drive me insane so I started there and then got on a roll. lol So much for my strike. Ok girl hang tough, don’t let them wear you down. Have a great day and a wonderful tomorrow ! ! ! Much love and many hugs ! ! ! Sleep with the angels and wake up fully rested and ready for a new day ! ! ! ! ! !
Feeling lucky that I live alone… hehe
That threat is often thrown around in my house, but no one takes it seriously. My grandma is a packrat..so our house has so many freakin’ knick-knacks in it!
At least your husband is trying. You should be happy with that. It may just be the dishes, but the dishes are something. It is the little things that can come to add so much. When I cook Larry dinner for when he comes home and he offers to help make the salads or cut the bread..little things like that make me smile. He wants to do what he can to help out, though he works all day and comes home tired. I hope that your kids come around and try to help you. It should be 50/50 all around since you all live there…Good luck!
Have a great day, Maria! God bless.
hey, I like what SSS said
love you 
A part of me sympathizes with you while the other part feels guilty for simply not bothering to teach my family how to clean. I guess I figured it was “my job” and now that I’m in so much pain, I’m seeing “my job” not getting done the way i want it too.
But you’ve got a house-full there and I hope your “strike” pays off for you.