A Neat and Clean House vs Children
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| 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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Kitty
Proud member of the Rainbow Poop Debate Squad
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Kitty
"If you can't annoy somebody with what you write, I think there's little point in writing."-- Kingsley Amis, British novelist, 1971 t .
Like oil changes, replacing the brakes, or switching out the transmission? IMO driving responsibly involves how you drive. Being a responsible car owner entails taking care of your car, which you can do yourself if you are qualified or you can have done for you by a skilled professional at a cost. BOTH are responsible, any way I can think to slice it.
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Chris
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No, I said *basic* maintenance and *emergency* repairs. Basic Maintenance: Like checking the oil, topping off fluids, changing the windshield wiper blades, tire pressure, checking the treads on your tires for depth and even wear. Emergency repairs: enough to get your car to a safe place (like changing a tire, since so few cars have a full sized spare any more, so driving on a donut is really an emergency driving situation and the very next stop from doing so would be to the closest garage or tire store.
and for the billionth time this is my opinion. So if you don't want to share it, don't feel like you have to. I don't care if you don't. And it's not like I'm trying to legislate it to be that way. But I did raise my kid with that in mind. Yeah, he had to show me he could change a tire and perform basic maintenance. That was before I paid one dime towards formal driving school.
For all your objections to my opinion, it seems to me that given your own stated disability you ought to be glad SOMEONE knows how to do these things.
Kitty
Proud member of the Rainbow Poop Debate Squad
************
Kitty
"If you can't annoy somebody with what you write, I think there's little point in writing."-- Kingsley Amis, British novelist, 1971 t .
How I define it? I didn't even know about it until today. I'm classifying it however you want it classified for the purposes of this discussion. And I guarantee you, on the unforeseen occasion that it ever becomes relevant on the boards again, you're probably going to at least have to remind me. I have the memory of a colander. (Well, maybe that's giving me more credit than I'm due ;)
Kitty
Proud member of the Rainbow Poop Debate Squad
************
Kitty
"If you can't annoy somebody with what you write, I think there's little point in writing."-- Kingsley Amis, British novelist, 1971 t .
Ten Rules for Being Human
Malcolm Gladwell Blink
Ten Rules for Being Human
Malcolm Gladwell Blink
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To be is to do - Plato
To be or not to be - Hamlet
Do-be-do-be-do - Sinatra
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