Thursday 4 October 2012

Visuals for you all to feel the full experience:) I feel embarrassed..or queasy, one of the two or perhaps both.

Yummy....<insert gagging here>

Back door.....Good Lord!

Laundry Basket/Garbage Bin/Family Room
Kitchen at day three!

It has become dangerous for the animals. Poor dog got trapped in the back pack trying to get to the rotten lunch bags :(




46 comments:

  1. I just found your blog and wanted to say....you are my hero.

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  2. Yep...me, too. You're my hero. Seriously. This is perhaps the greatest thing I've ever read. Bahhaaaa!!!

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    1. I love that you loved reading this. Seriously. Thank you!
      J

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  3. Indeed, you are a hero to all frustrated moms. Do you have any ideas for HUSBANDS who leave things all around the house?

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    1. I would pick up his things and put them straight into the garbage. This will teach him a lesson not to leave his things around the house.

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    2. My husband and I were married quite young and there was a large 'learning curve' to say the least. While he is VERY helpful now....it was a struggle for us in the beginning. Again....I got creative and he seemed to get it when I put his dirty socks, dishes and laundry on his pillow one night. LOL.
      It did really help that when I went back to work full time and was trying to still do it all, that we sat down and talked about what needed to change.
      That..or Strike:)
      J

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  4. LOL. this is the funniest thing ive ever seen. i think if i went on strike it would take my kids months to notice

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    1. Trust me..one week felt like a month for sure!!

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  5. This is hilarious. I've thought about doing this to my son if he doesn't pick up after himself when he gets older, but usually boys like the mess, so it would be pointless lol.

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    1. Ahhhh, boys! Mind you...you have seen the pics of how bad it got with girls:) Let me know how it goes if you ever do go on Strike.
      J

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  6. Hi Jessica,

    Great idea of going on strike!

    But....can I ask what breed of dog you have? I have a dog that looks almost exactly the same. They could be twins! I am planning to do a DNA test soon but think mine is a Shih Tzu/Cairn Terrier mix. He was a rescue so I don't know his breed.

    Would love to know if you know your dog's breed.

    Thanks!

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    1. I have been meaning to get back to you over the last two weeks..sorry it has taken me so long. The dog in the pic is Miss. Ruth, she is a Maltese/Yorkie mix, or a Morkie. They have become quite popular as a "designer' breed. She looked much more Yorkie when she was younger, but now I see more of the Maltese in her.
      Funny is, that she is all of 8 pounds and is the BOSS of the 165 pound great dane!!
      Can you let me know if you read this and if Morkie sounds like it could be your pup? Hope this was helpful and you don't have to spend the $$ on a DNA test.
      J

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  7. My kitchen looks like that after just one day of neglect... before I come in and freak out and summons all the teens to get in and fix it.

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    1. Trust me..I am famous for my mom freak outs:) It truly is unreal how much of a mess they can leave behind in one day. Do you think they even see it?? Sigh.....
      J

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  8. Mine looks like that after one day - even a few hours! I definitely hear you sister, but I don't think it would work here...no one would care, and just live in the squalor, I'd be the only one to suffer!

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    1. Two of my older girls made cupcakes complete with coloured icing the other day. Let's just say I could have written a blog complete with pics after only half an hour:) By day four I did think that the strike would go on forever and ever...but to my delight they eventually clued in. Thank goodness..I'm not sure if I could have handled it any longer!!
      J

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  9. Yep, agree with Dee and Five Fairies!

    I have a 4-year old and a 2-year old, a husband who does work, and I go to night school. My DH is definitely not a type A... If I'm at school, I can almost guarantee there will be dirty clothes everywhere, wet towels on the sofa or bed, the area around the kids table covered in dropped food and sticky patches, and the kitchen full of dirty dishes. At least the toys get pushed to the side of the room so you can walk on the floor without falling over.

    Saying that, he will clear up if I point these things out to him and does make dinner or do dishes (without being asked!) when I'm looking a bit too harassed.

    Mostly, I employ him during those times to keep the kids out of the way so I can get the housework done without 'help' because it's just easier and at least it's done the way I would like it. I guess I have myself to blame there :)

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    1. I can SO relate to finding it easier to have them out of the way as I clean the house!! I often ask if they are helping or hindering... as I have a certain way of liking things around here. I did learn that in the end, it doesn't have to be perfect...but I am about to bust out the cleaner and have a good time this afternoon!! Its all about balance I guess.
      J

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  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    1. I also was a perfect child:) My plan is to keep writing..stay tuned.
      J

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  11. GOOD ON YOU!!!
    I am sick to death feeling like the housekeeper. I am also a human being that does like to have a life other than cleaning up other people's crap.
    Mine even walk past the dish washer to put their dishes in the sink....if they decide to pick up their dishes in the first place that is!

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    1. I am thinking about holding a seminar for teens on how to load a dishwasher. You would think it was rocket science!!
      J

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  12. I totally see what you're doing, but I read on Babycenter that your kids are 12 and 10? Why are you cleaning up after them anyway? I don't mean to be rude, but at 9 I was cleaning up the whole family's dishes after dinner as a daily chore, and DEFINITELY picking up my own clothes and school stuff etc. Your kids seem a bit spoiled and you seem like a doormat mom... You should stick to this 'strike' (which should just be normal behavior) until they take care of themselves every day... They aren't toddlers... Your mom responsibilities should be stuff they can't do, i.e cooking the meals and laundry - once it hits the laundry room. I'm so confused by this because of their ages.

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    1. I hope you got a chance to read my post titled "Reflections" as it explains exactly how and why I did this strike. I totally agree with you regarding daily chores etc and my girls have had those since a very young age. As with most pre-teen girls, they were slipping on their daily chores and I went on strike as a reminder instead of nagging them. It was fun creative parenting. Don't worry, I kept up on all my mom responsibilities but just stopped doing there stuff as a reminder of why it's important to keep up the team effort. I know am painfully aware that most of the media articles didn't speak to this:(
      FYI..anytime the word "but" is used in a sentence (ie:"I don't mean to be rude but,") it negates every word spoken before it. I had asked for no negativity here on the blog and especially no name calling, as in spoiled kids and doormat mom. I wasn't going to respond to you yet, I wanted to provide clarification to your questions in regards to the strike. Hope this helps:)
      J

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  13. I love that you did this! I hope that the kids now realize how much work you do and begin to appreciate it a bit more. Are they helping out more now? Do they complain when you ask for their help in getting chores done?

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    1. It has been better for sure! They are back to doing all their regular chores and family responsibility jobs. I don't think it will ever be perfect...but we all have great intentions right:)
      J

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  14. Good for you. When I was 8 my mom did something like that with the exception she decided to act like a maid and stop been mom. By day 2 we cry to stop and be our mom, we miss her hugs and kind words literally she work from 8 to 6 and we couldn't take it no more.

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  15. I'll be honest... my kitchen can look like that after one half-hour of cooking, and I might not clean it up for a week.

    I do get frustrated by large piles of dirty washing, though - which don't bother my wife at all, whereas the kitchen does. Hmm.

    Our policy is whatever it takes to make it to the end of the day is okay. Lor knows what we'll do when we have children.

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    1. Laundry is my nemesis!! I like your policy and when you have kids I'm sure you will be great and you will both figure out how to get to the end of the day...with a smile:)
      J

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  16. I though about getting a hotel room for a couple nights...lol
    J

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  17. CONGRATULATIONS!!! way to go... this is someway to make the people arround the world that "what happens when a mom stops doing "the nothing" that is always invisible for others"... I'm following you from Spain...

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  18. This is the best idea ever! Im laughing so hard I'm crying.

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  19. I'll never forget something that I read on a refrigerator magnet at a friend's house when I was a kid. It said something like "Housework is something that isn't noticed unless it isn't done." That image always pops up in mind when I'm doing yet another unappreciated chore around my house.

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  20. When my 3 kids were younger we had a "Job Jar". "Jobs" were written on little pieces of paper & folded. Every day each kid reached into the jar and picked a 'job' to do for that day. If they picked the same one they did the day before they put it back & picked another - so they never did the same job 2 consecutive days. They could 'trade' the job to another sibling if both were agreeable. I found out years later - now that they're adults - that they really liked the 'job jar' - it was like a game to them!

    Their rooms (which were their responsibility) were another story. It was their room and as long as it wasn't a fire hazard, death trap or attracting critters they could keep it however they wanted. There was a time when I would constantly be on their case to 'clean their room' - it was a never-ending battle. They had so many toys it was overwhelming to them on 'where to start'. So one day I let them each select 5 toys they wanted to keep and the rest would be gotten rid of. Secretly, I hid them. Their rooms were much easier to keep clean. We were all happier and more relaxed, too. After about 6 months I revealed the hidden toys and they could swap none or all of the current ones for different ones. But they were still left with possession of only 5 toys each. They said it was like Christmas! Old toys were new again. Forgotten toys had new meaning.

    Raising kids to grow to be responsible adults was part of my goal. It can be daunting. At times it can be exhausting and really test your patience. It's sometimes a 'hit & miss' situation. It calls for creativity and re-invention....constantly. It also requires a 'don't sweat the small stuff' attitude. Pick your battles. But most importantly...
    ENJOY YOUR FAMILY! They grow up way too quickly. Luckily, for me, my 3 young adults have grown to be kind, good-hearted, generous, responsible people. They are very creative, loving and fun to hang around with. They all tend to be 'minimalists'...or close to it. We are a very close and loving family - and for that I am extremely thankful. It is - to me - an honor and a privilege to be their Mom.

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  21. wow! I just red from the daily magazine what have you done (I live in Finland!)!? You are also my hero! I think it is not the easiest and the most comfort way to show the kids that you are not allday housekeeper at home. But I'm glad you did it!

    keep going!

    Anne

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  22. I feel I have found gold:) I love your blog...I just do! My son is 4, I have recently become a SINGLE working mom and finding you is just...Great!

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