Day 317 The Perfect Mom Project

Today is tune up day. Today is the day that I let my girls know that I am tired of the random items left laying around my house. Dishes, glasses shoes, clothes, beach towels and swimsuits to name just a few. Everyone has been busy taking it easy and they have lost the ability to pick up after themselves, so perhaps a couple of threats from good old mom will get them back on track. Just yesterday, I asked "whose glass is on the dining room table?" "Not mine" replied Avery. "There are two of them." I said. "Oh, maybe one of them is mine", is Avery's response. This morning I wake up to one of the glasses still on the table. Now what? Will someone claim it, or will it be the random mystery guest that visits and leaves their things lying about. Maybe you have had them visit at your house too; I think their name is It's Not Mine.

 My goal today will be to help my children understand that I do not care who left the item or why they left it, just pick the bloody thing up and let's move on. The constant debate about who left what where and when is now on my last nerve. Perhaps I will adopt the Good-bye box. Any item found lying around and not picked up immediately upon my asking will visit my Good-bye box. I will decide when it will say hello again. It could be a day or it could be a week, who knows! A friend had suggested this to me a while back and I thought "no, I do not need to do that with my kids", well now I think I do. I cannot take the frustrating debates about who left what, whose it is, and why it was left. Of course each child swears they are the good one and that all would be well if it was not for the other child, but I am past caring and would like to move forward, so today is the day. Wish me luck!