Happy "Clean Up Your Room" Day.. A Favorite Of Mother's Everywhere.

Oh the Joy of it.. A Clean Room.. 

I can scarcely believe there is an actual holiday for this. 

Mother's everywhere are celebrating this very special day. At the same time children are weeping and gnashing their teeth. 

I have no problems remembering what a battle the clean room was for our youngest. She fought against it with every fiber of her being. She, like us, was a saver. I would even find her stashes of comics from the bazooka bubble gum wrappers heaped on her vanity. When I asked about them, she would cry, "But Karen, I love those". 

So would begin the compromise of what could stay, placed neatly somewhere out of site, and what was trash. I would threaten to " Clean her room for her".  I did it once. I placed all the good stuff in garbage bags on the back porch where I knew they would be safe. Took out the bags full of trash.. and neatly arranged everything from clothes, to shoes, books, and barbies. 

My work went unappreciated to say the least.. I think the sobbing only lasted an hour or so. I returned the garbage bag full of barbies and bears and such. It worked.. A clean room. I think it lasted about a week, maybe 10 days. That was it. 

We finally came to an agreement. Since her bedroom was off the kitchen and hallway, and everyone saw it almost immediately upon entering the living room, she could keep it how she wanted. But the door had to stay shut. I didn't want to see it. That seemed to work out best. She was entering her teen years and there would be bigger battles to wage. Ones I had to win. So a clean room went by the wayside. 

It's funny, we were discussing it the other day.  

*She is 39 now, and you will be pleased to know her home and her room are cleaner and neater then mine.. uh ya.. I know. She is now offering to come and help me clean. We have had a few discussions about getting rid of our extra stuff. She learned her lesson well. 

While we were reminiscing about the Clean room thing. She reminded me that I did indeed "Clean her Room" one last time. I took all her barbies and put them in a garbage bag as before, out on the back porch. I put the garbage out each week since husband worked 3rd shift. No problem, her barbies were safe and sound. I thought.. Husband put out the trash that week. I thanked him and went on about my business.. later that week, I decided She had earned the Barbies back. I went to get them. They were GONE.. Put out in the trash with the rest of the garbage bags. We both cried that day. Her over the loss. Me over causing her so much pain. We can laugh about it now, but it is still a painful reminder that I should have found a better way. 

I'm sure we came to the "just keep the door shut" compromise after the great barbie incident. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I think that was it. 

I hope your "Clean up your room" day. goes smoothly.. If you take a toy or toys away for a punishment, DO NOT PUT THEM IN GARBAGE BAGS. Use another way. Or better yet.. Just shut the door. 

Reminds me, I need to go clean my room..   :-)

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