I've got a motivation problem so my standard break from life is in order...

[rikibeth]

Graaaaaaah.

Today's projects: the dishes, which I'd been neglecting; the bathroom, which badly needed the tub and the floor scrubbed; and (dum dum DUM) melovechocolate's bedroom.

Dishes took 15 minutes. (Plus a couple of things that wouldn't fit in the dish drainer so I'll have to do them when everything else is dry.)

Bathroom? Half an hour, including scrubbing away cat litter that had gotten stuck to the floor 'cause it got wet.

Her bedroom? OMG.

Been doing it in Flylady 15-minute chunks. Started by hauling out all the clothes on the floor. Then it went to "throwing away trash" and "unpacking boxes that she has not touched since the move."

Guess what? All of the boxes except for one Rubbermaid tote are EMPTY now. And broken down and out of her room. Well, okay, except for the giant box of stuffies, but can't unpack that until we assemble one of the wire shelving things to PUT them on, and we couldn't do THAT until all the OTHER boxes were out of there so there'd be room to drag THAT box somewhere else.

Admittedly, her dresser top is a disaster, but it's a much SMALLER disaster than the giant cluster of boxes.

I also found the green Jansport backpack that started out as tikvah's, in the box of her stuff that I packed from the front hall. So I didn't really need to buy her the Dickies backpack with the multicolored emo stars. She may yet wind up using the green one if the Dickies one is too small.

I may yet get her room to being livable today. Wouldn't that be something?

The number of PROGRESS REPORTS I found in among her stuff -- that she supposedly "lost" last year -- is also not to be believed. I am instituting a Daily Bag Check when school starts. I don't CARE what she thinks about her privacy. Clearly she is not to be trusted.

Also? If she EVER tries to borrow a pair of socks from me again? I WILL LAUGH. I found SO many socks in there. I'll borrow socks from HER, how about it?

Yes, her room here is smaller than her room at the old house was. But you know what? It's NOT impossible to unpack it. And it WON'T be impossible to move in it once her laundry is put away.

If I get any more EEEEEEEEEEMO from her about it, I will lose my sense of humor entirely.

Comments

[labellerose.livejournal.com]

The progress reports = standard middle school 'stuff'. She isn't going to grow up to be a serial killer, I promise.

Something I've found helpful is to start the idea that a personal journal is 'private space' and that line will not be crossed unless a severe, life threatening emergency occurs. That's the safe place to be as emo as you wanna be.

A student's back pack and planner are 'shared space' that are open to the student and others on the student's 'success team' or 'support team' such as parents and teachers. Backpack and planner checks aren't an intrusion, they are coaching so that the student can learn the self-management skills they will need when they are on their own.

Hope that helps. Hang in there, hun. Flylady thinks you rock and so do I. ;)

[magnolia-mama.livejournal.com]

The number of PROGRESS REPORTS I found in among her stuff -- that she supposedly "lost" last year -- is also not to be believed. I am instituting a Daily Bag Check when school starts.

I made the very same discovery when I cleaned my son's room last month. I was gobsmacked at the number of papers that I was suppsoed to have signed, notes that I should have read, etc, etc. I'm instituting a Daily Bag Check this year as well.

[faithhopetricks.livejournal.com]

//pets you //makes you a Mom-sized Margarita

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

I waited for the margarita until I had medicated the cat.

Nicely buzzed now...

[head-shrinker.livejournal.com]

Progress reports vs. Privacy, round 1: Prepare for EMO.

You know that if there's anything she doesn't want you to see, it's because there's something incriminating within. Part of growing up is learning to deal with fucking up - no better time for her to learn.

I agree with labellerose - journals are for privacy, backpacks are for function (and sticking a million pins and patches to).

[tubin.livejournal.com]

Wow. I'm again convinced you're a goddess. On my days off I have trouble managing to get the minimal done and you're plunging steadily ahead. I stand (well, sit) in awe.

And was struck by the observation that my mother would have simply withdrawn every privilege except eating, sleeping, and bathroom breaks, until I'd unpacked the room myself. Which is neither a criticism of you nor my Mom, just an observation...

And I recall "losing" progress reports too, when I was her age. Though I was smart enough to trash or burn them - which makes me believe that melovechocolate was simply forgetful, not deliberately deceitful. And if Mom had been more interested in digging through my stuff and finding them, maybe I would have learned some lessons a little earlier (and hence less painfully...)

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Oh no, she wasn't just forgetful, because I ASKED her last year for the progress reports and she'd tell me she "lost" them, except for the ones where she was doing okay.

I tried the "no television, just go unpack' LAST weekend with her, and got a sobbing fit. Probably didn't help that she was in the throes of PMS. But it's simpler at this point for me to unpack, and then be Mean Mom about her KEEPING it clean and tidy through the school year.

Part of this task is sorting through her clothing, too. Auuuuugh.

[alchemine.livejournal.com]

I think preteen PMS was the real reason that people used to marry their daughters off as soon as they got their periods. Teenage girls and women approaching 40 were never meant to live under the same roof -- too many swirling hormones on both sides of the equation!

TC hasn't felt the need to hide school papers from me yet, but I'm sure the day is coming. She wouldn't have to try very hard; her room is such a mess most of the time that neither of us can find anything in it. We went through the same downscaling-to-a-smaller-space thing when we moved last year, and I still haven't discovered the magic trick for making the same amount of stuff fit into half the space.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

We went through the same downscaling-to-a-smaller-space thing when we moved last year, and I still haven't discovered the magic trick for making the same amount of stuff fit into half the space.

We're doing it by THROWING STUFF OUT.

It helps that she's gotten out of the plastic toys stage and is into music-and-makeup now. I just bought a Caboodles box at Target so she can keep hers organized.

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

The daughter is helping you with all this, right?

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Are you kidding? I waited for a weekend where she'd be at her dad's so she would not be IN MY WAY when I did it. If I had asked her to help, she would have whined and interfered and flipped out that I was in her room at all.

Now, KEEPING it clean, I'm going to be expecting more of her.

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

Ahh. I see.

Well, kids can be handfulls, no? I recall being one myself.