A Neat and Clean House vs Children

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-2007
A Neat and Clean House vs Children
2597
Tue, 07-27-2010 - 8:35am

For those of you who like a neat and clean house, how do you keep it that way with children?

I find that if I am tied to goal of having a neat and clean house, I become a raging shrew against my children as they proceed to undo all the neatness I have worked so hard to attain. If I made a "neat and clean house" my goal, my children would not have their messy projects that take days/weeks to complete. My children would not pick up a book (casually left out)as they walk through the family room and browse through- discovering once again the mother actually knows about a few good books. I would let them watch more tv/computer time, as they don't make things as messy when they do. I would squash their ideas if I thought it would make too much of a mess. I wouldn't let them cook/experiment in the kitchen- as it is usually more work for me to clean up after they have "cleaned up". So, how do you inspire creativity and imagination in a neat and clean house? Are you on top of them to put things away as soon as they are done even if it is temporary? Where do you put the legos?....... Have you ever allowed them to take over the living room with all of their toys arranged in a city complex (thomas the train things were the Metro, legos and blocks were the buildings....)? How long would it stay up? Would let it be up for the summer so they could add to and change tings around as they got new ideas? Or allowed them to take over half of the family room for a month+ while they build and live in a beaver lodge (using all the empty shoe and other boxes and some that weren't empty)? Even if you have to walk around it everyday to get to the kitchen? Or do you require that all toys be put away everyday?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-22-2009
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 8:58pm

Correct.

My post was in reply to this:

"I would prefer my kids to eat whatever is served to them, even if they don't particularly love it."

Although she did later post that she did not force her children to eat anything, this post did not make that clear.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-09-2010
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 8:59pm

Yes, while my teenager can & does cook, I PREFER TO COOK IT MYSELF and SERVE IT TO MY TEENAGER!


That is just me and who I am.


Polkadots&FlipFlops

Polkadotandflipflops

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-09-2010
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 9:01pm
My mother's meals that she prepared were the picture perfect home economics meal straight from the food pyramid. Dad and I didn't appreciate it so she cooked us something else. My grandmothers (both of them) and my greatgrandmother always catered to those who would be around their supper table. We have all done it with love & joy in our hearts doing it.

Polkadots&FlipFlops

Polkadotandflipflops

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-07-2003
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 9:03pm
Well, I keep trying it, but I just don't like it. I really wish I did. There's a great local goat cheese producer here.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-09-2010
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 9:06pm

I'm extremely picky


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Polkadotandflipflops

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-07-2003
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 9:07pm
It wouldn't be a problem in and of itself, but let's say you have one person coming to dinner who refuses to eat beans. Another is a strict vegetarian. Another is lactose intolerant. It becomes quite a challenge to find something that everyone can eat without cooking several meals. I mean, at that point a buffet style meal is pretty much the only option. That way the bean-refuser can have a meat and cheese burrito. The vegetarian can have a bean and cheese burrito. The lactose intolerant person can have a meat and bean burrito. Or whatever. It just becomes more complicated when someone refuses to eat something or the other. I hope my children will have as few things they refuse to eat as possible.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-09-2010
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 9:08pm
it is involuntary, cannot be controlled (in my experience anyway) So I know so that I won't embarrass myself and more importantly others to stay away.

Polkadots&FlipFlops

Polkadotandflipflops

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-09-2010
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 9:09pm
Yes, if the meat is warmed either on the stove or in the oven. The only way we would eat it ha

Polkadots&FlipFlops

Polkadotandflipflops

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-22-2009
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 9:10pm
My children always had the option to make something for themselves if they did not like what I made but I rarely catered to anyone. There were a few exceptions, when serving something that was greatly liked by some of the family and disliked by some of the family (shrimp would be an example) I would have another option. But if the item I was serving was only disliked by one person then they were on their own.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-09-2010
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 9:12pm

I obviously don't mind. There are things i won't eat and yes, beans is one of them (unless they are in chilli and I can't see or directly taste them but I'd leave them out of that if my dh wouldn't miss them ha)


My dh loves mexican food, I will not touch it and can't stand the smell of it. I don't expect him to do w/out that food so I cook that for him (or invite him to bring curbside home from his favorite restaurant because admittingly mine doesn't taste near as good as the local little restaurant does) and then either way I prepare what the rest of us want to eat.


Polkadots&FlipFlops

Polkadotandflipflops

 

 

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