Comments on: Rooms http://karenrayne.com/2008/04/15/rooms/ Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:51:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: karenrayne http://karenrayne.com/2008/04/15/rooms/comment-page-1/#comment-2790 karenrayne Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:44:13 +0000 http://karenrayne.com/2008/04/15/rooms/#comment-2790 Absolutely, Cadbury - it's all about what works best for you and your family. My thoughts on whether teenagers need clean clothes? My thought is that it's up to them to decide that and take action or not. That probably doesn't apply to a 12 or 13 year old, but it most certainly does to a 17 or 18 year old. Somewhere in there the switch happens. And yes, having to take the laundry out of the house certainly makes it much harder to organize the teenagers doing their own. But it's still a skill that they're going to have to have in just a few years, so why not start now? They'll probably have to go to a laundry mat then too! Absolutely, Cadbury - it’s all about what works best for you and your family.

My thoughts on whether teenagers need clean clothes? My thought is that it’s up to them to decide that and take action or not. That probably doesn’t apply to a 12 or 13 year old, but it most certainly does to a 17 or 18 year old. Somewhere in there the switch happens. And yes, having to take the laundry out of the house certainly makes it much harder to organize the teenagers doing their own. But it’s still a skill that they’re going to have to have in just a few years, so why not start now? They’ll probably have to go to a laundry mat then too!

]]> By: Cadbury http://karenrayne.com/2008/04/15/rooms/comment-page-1/#comment-2787 Cadbury Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:05:51 +0000 http://karenrayne.com/2008/04/15/rooms/#comment-2787 i have gone in and picked up laundry in my kids room. they are with me week on and week off. i have to do their laundry... it's an apartment building with shared laundry - so it's not quite as straightforward as private laundry yes - i know all the consequences deal - but they need clean clothes i have on occasion gone and stood in the doorway and told them to clean up and stood there and directed them on the items to clean up and straighten out i'm not a clean freak, but i require that all breakable items be off the floor, that at least every couple of days dirty clothes be tossed in a basket, and that garbage be picked up off the floor and put in a wastebasket i don't ever put the lean on them for more than 5 or 10 minutes at a time - often less - a regular 2 minute forced pick-up keeps me sane and them co-operative i have gone in and picked up laundry in my kids room. they are with me week on and week off. i have to do their laundry… it’s an apartment building with shared laundry - so it’s not quite as straightforward as private laundry

yes - i know all the consequences deal - but they need clean clothes

i have on occasion gone and stood in the doorway and told them to clean up and stood there and directed them on the items to clean up and straighten out

i’m not a clean freak, but i require that all breakable items be off the floor, that at least every couple of days dirty clothes be tossed in a basket, and that garbage be picked up off the floor and put in a wastebasket

i don’t ever put the lean on them for more than 5 or 10 minutes at a time - often less - a regular 2 minute forced pick-up keeps me sane and them co-operative

]]> By: karenrayne http://karenrayne.com/2008/04/15/rooms/comment-page-1/#comment-2778 karenrayne Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:32:47 +0000 http://karenrayne.com/2008/04/15/rooms/#comment-2778 This is a great question, Nanci. And yes, you let her keep it a mess. Now there is one caveat here: The mess must be contained. That means the door has to swing open and closed, there must be no smell, your things and kitchen things can't ever be swallowed by the mess, and the room cannot be a bug-production center. But unmade beds and clothes all over the floor are totally her prerogative! This is a great question, Nanci. And yes, you let her keep it a mess.

Now there is one caveat here: The mess must be contained. That means the door has to swing open and closed, there must be no smell, your things and kitchen things can’t ever be swallowed by the mess, and the room cannot be a bug-production center.

But unmade beds and clothes all over the floor are totally her prerogative!

]]> By: Alice http://karenrayne.com/2008/04/15/rooms/comment-page-1/#comment-2777 Alice Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:21:08 +0000 http://karenrayne.com/2008/04/15/rooms/#comment-2777 <i>My</i> advice on the subject is to say, in as cheerful and tactful a tone of voice as you can, and at a time when the two of you are enjoying each other's company, that you would be delighted to "help" her clean her room if she would like some help. After that, stay out of it--it's really not worth a power struggle. I'm not the Ph.D. here, though, so Dr. Rayne's advice may be different and better. :) My advice on the subject is to say, in as cheerful and tactful a tone of voice as you can, and at a time when the two of you are enjoying each other’s company, that you would be delighted to “help” her clean her room if she would like some help. After that, stay out of it–it’s really not worth a power struggle.

I’m not the Ph.D. here, though, so Dr. Rayne’s advice may be different and better. :)

]]> By: Nanci Kehoe http://karenrayne.com/2008/04/15/rooms/comment-page-1/#comment-2774 Nanci Kehoe Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:21:04 +0000 http://karenrayne.com/2008/04/15/rooms/#comment-2774 I do want my teenage daughter to have ownership of her room....but what about keeping it clean? It bothers me when I enter her space to find it a complete mess...bed never made, clothes all over the floor, candy wrappers everywhere... Do I just stay out, or do I create some rules for cleanliness? I do want my teenage daughter to have ownership of her room….but what about keeping it clean? It bothers me when I enter her space to find it a complete mess…bed never made, clothes all over the floor, candy wrappers everywhere… Do I just stay out, or do I create some rules for cleanliness?

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