TEACH KIDS HOW TO CLEAN A ROOM

If your kids are little and you asked them to clean the family room, would they know how? If you were in a hurry to leave the house or company was coming over, would your children have a clue what to do to help?

When mine were little I noticed they had a tendency to "stash and dash" if I asked them to help clean up the family room. I would find things stuffed behind pillows, under the couch cushions, inside a drawer or inside a cupboard somewhere.

Not exactly a shining example of cleaning. Not to mention it made it difficult for me to find items later. No wonder they cleaned up so quickly! They weren't putting things away, they were hiding them.

If your kids (or you, lol!) are doing the same thing you may want to teach them how to straighten a room. I'll use the family room for an example but I won't cover dusting or vacuuming (but you could certainly make that part of the training for another time).

Also, I am talking about normal wear and tear on a room, not a room that needs several hours or a day to clean out.

Have them get a garbage can and set it in the room. Tell them to look for anything that is clearly garbage and throw it away. If your idea of garbage and their idea of "garbage" differs, you can have them throw things away in a plastic bag and then you can check inside before tossing it.

Ask them what things belong in the room. Do clothes belong in the family room? Do toys? Dishes? Dvds? Library books? T.v. remotes? Food? What belongs and what doesn't belong?

Ask them to look around the room and find five things that don't belong in there and put them in the laundry basket. Using a basket (or box) will keep them in the room while cleaning it so they don't get sidetracked.

Have them look for five more things that don't belong and put those in the basket too. These small steps are so they don't get overwhelmed with the amount of clutter that's out. (For a younger child, you might ask them to look for one thing at a time, etc.) Ask them to keep looking until they can't see anything else that is out of place.

The remaining items should be things that belong in the room. Have them return them to their places.

After the clutter is all picked up, teach them how to "finish" a room. Show them how to fluff the couch pillows or straighten picture frames, lamp shades, seat cushions, table covers or slipcovers.

Have them look at the decorative knickknacks so that they can learn where each belongs. Have them straighten them as needed or return any that are out of place.

Ask them to close any cupboard doors or drawers that are open. By now, the entire room should be neat and all the clutter is either put away or in the laundry basket(s).

Encourage them to ignore the desire to leave something out "just for now" and help put away the items in the basket. Then encourage them to take joy in a job well done!

AT LEAST THEY DON'T PICK THEIR NOSES ANYMORE

Last night was the childrens' Christmas program at church. There were two babies in front of me, and it was all I could do not to snatch them away and smother them with kisses and cuddle them. Oh my, somebody stop me. Do you think anyone would have noticed if I borrowed them?

My boys don't cuddle or want to be rocked to sleep anymore. Oh yes, they are still loving and give hugs, but neither one of them is interested in sitting on my lap and letting me rock or burp them. Oh well, how do you rock a teenager?

They don't wake me up in the middle of the night asking for water. They don't wake me up early in the morning and ask for cereal. They don't want a bottle or a pacifier or a blankie.

Waaaaaaaahhhhhhh! Sniff.

They don't pick their noses and let me tell you, I thought that stage would never end. Good grief. Seriously? Just what is up there??? What is it with boys and their noses???

They don't wipe their noses on their sleeves or on my shoulder anymore either.

I can wear clothes that don't smell like spit up. I can eat my dinner while it's still warm. I can sleep through the night. I can walk down a dark hall and not trip over a toy.....a dog or two, maybe, but not a toy.

They don't throw screaming, crying, snotty fits. They don't bicker or argue or fight or complain that "Brother tried to spit on me."

My kids never fought much when they were little, probably because of the four year age gap. However, the younger one used to annoy his older brother on occasion. He doesn't do that anymore either.

I have some "me" time. On occasion, I have peace and quiet, even when they're both home.

I don't have to put anybody in time out. I don't have to tell them both to go sit quietly on the couch together and hold hands (no talking) because they were speaking rudely to one another. We used to call that "couch" therapy, lol!

But it worked and they almost always ended up in giggles afterwards! Just having to sit together and hold hands quietly for a time out caused them to turn from anger and rudeness to making each other laugh and they were buddies again.

Their friendship and relationship was very important to us, so we had several things we did in order to foster and encourage their friendship and love.

I don't have to do alot of things anymore. I must say, I miss those long ago moments, but I love seeing the men that my boys are now and I wouldn't miss these moments for anything!

HOW MANY MONDAYS CAN ONE WEEK HAVE?

Just how many Mondays can one week have? Hmmmm? I mean, how many of you would like more than one Monday in your week? Mondays can be awesome, because they're like a fresh start, and not-so-awesome because that means a new work week has begun, or another busy week has started.

If you don't already know it, let me be the first to tell you that it's Tuesday. Yup. It's not Monday which means you don't have to dread going to work today on Monday, you already did that yesterday (if you work).

It's not Wednesday so you don't have to get excited that your week is already half-way through. Because it's not. That's tomorrow, and you still have four more days of work counting today. Sorry. My bad.

It's not Friday so you don't have to be happy that your work week is over and now you have the weekend coming. Because you don't. Sorry.

Cheer up, at least this isn't a week with five Mondays in it.

On the bright side, think how happy you are going to be when Friday finally comes!!!!! You'll be that much happier because you waited so long for it (not that you had any choice but work with me here people)! Also, it's Tuesday and I'm posting over at the Five Mom's today if you want to pop over for a visit!

MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

My mom has been sick for the last week and I had to take her to the ER tonight, so I've been busy with her. She is fine, we caught it early and they have her on pain meds and antibiotics so she is going to be better soon.

However, it's late, I just got home, and I don't have a post. I started one earlier but then needed to take her in. Now it's late as I said, and I just don't feel like finishing it. However, I know you'll understand.

But on the bright side, you are now done reading my blog and can now move on to see what everybody else posted!

HI. I'M ADDICTED TO CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

Somebody needs to stop me. I seem to be addicted to buying Christmas decorations. Now granted, I am getting them at the Dollar store (or is that $ store?) or the thrift store but still, it all adds up.

I will see someone's decorations at their home or on a blog and think "Oooooh, that's pretty! I should do that" or I'll be driving by the thrift store and think "I might as well stop in. I'm driving right by."

It's a sickness, really.

Houston, we have a problem. Where am I going to store all these new decorations? Hmmmmm? I already have space carved out in the garage for the decorations that we already have. There is no room for future decorations. Trust me.

My husband and I have differing views on the garage. I look upon it as an endless source of space, a storage wonderland, a place where everything can go. It doesn't matter where it's going to go. It's gotta go. It doesn't matter if it fits, and it doesn't matter if there's room.

It's a garage and it's supposed to store things. That's my view. If there isn't room that's my husband's problem. That's also my view. It's his problem, not mine. I manage the house, he manages the garage.

If some of my house things manage to overflow into the garage, ooops, my bad. However, if some of his garage things manage to overflow into the house..... no, not happening.....it can't happen, it better not happen, it won't happen. I just can't look at a hammer or a wrench and call it decor.

Back to my problem. My sickness. I think I need to go on one of those shows. You know, for some therapy? We could call it a Thrift-store-Christmas-decorations-addiction edition. However, I think I need to get over my Costco addiction first. Samples, anyone?

I bought two swags (with a couple of pine cones already attached) at Goodwill (99¢ each), along with some ribbon (also 99¢). While at the Dollar store I bought several Christmas "picks" (50¢ each) with pine cones and ornaments or red berries attached.



I then wrapped the ribbon around the swag and stuck the decorative picks in. Voila! Instant Christmas decoration for about $3.50 each. I put one in the dining room and the other in the family room.

This is about as creative as I get. I'm not really very good at that sort of thing, so whatever I do has to be easy and very forgiving. I was debating on adding a candle or two but that would probably involve another trip to the thrift store. It's a vicious circle!

I love the Christmas season. I love knowing we're celebrating the birth of our Savior. I love hearing how people celebrate His birth and how they honor it with their traditions.

I also love the nativity sets, the lights (in and out), the decorations, the beautiful worshipful music, the snow, the time with my family, the holiday "classics." I love it all. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some decorating to do......

CLEANING STYLES OF THE NOT SO RICH AND NOT SO FAMOUS

I once worked with a gal that lived in a house with several roommates. Each person was responsible for one week of cleaning. During that week they did all the cleaning for everybody. The rest of the time you were free of cleaning, until it was your week. She said that some people in her home cleaned every day.

This gal marathoned. On her week to clean, she would not clean for the entire week, and then on the Friday night before her week was up, she would come home from work and start cleaning. For hours and hours. She would stay up all night into the early morning hours, cleaning. Sound like fun?

I know it wasn't because for one thing, she dreaded it all day Friday, and complained about it at work. For another thing, she would always come dragging into work on Monday. Still tired after being up all night Friday night. Remember, she was cleaning up after everybody that week.

Can you imagine the amount of dishes she had to do? One entire weeks worth of dishes. She said she had to wash practically every dish and pan in the house, because she did not do them at all during that week. She also said her roommates complained about the mess alot.

She did dishes, swept, mopped, vacuumed, dusted, did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, bathrooms, living areas, and whatever else needed doing. That was her method.

Different people have different methods. Some people have a room of the week or a room of the month and that's the one that gets all the deep cleaning.

Some do all the dusting and all the vacuuming at once and get it over with, running around room to room, dusting and vacuuming as needed in each room.

Doing a room a day and all the dusting and vacuuming for that room only, and stay in one place while they clean. Then they put the vacuum away only to bring it out again the next day.

I've mentioned how I clean. My daily and weekly schedules are posted in the labels on the left sidebar. I may get away from it from time to time. I may skip some things and let them slide, or let them pile up and then I have lots to do on Saturday.

But basically that's my schedule and I like to break things up over the week. I don't remember how my mom did it but this is how I do it. It works for me because it's just easier for me this way.

I love the idea of doing a lot of heavy work in one day and getting it over with, but I really wouldn't want things to pile up like that.

So now we come to you. What is working for you right now? Do you have any hard and fast rules? Do you ever have a plan when you clean, or do you just clean whatever appeals to you at the time? Do you have a heavy cleaning day during the week, or do you break things up? Do you let things slide during the week and marathon on the weekend?

MATH RHYMES WITH BATH AND THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING

I.

Hate.

Math.

Specifically.

Geometry.

Thank you.

I hope you'll pop over to Five Moms And A Blog and read more about my math problems.....sigh.....