...or turn of lights, apparently, either. Simple things, really. Flushing a toilet. Turning off lights. Closing cupboard doors.
AND MY FERSHLUGGING CHILDREN CAN'T DO ANY OF THEM!!!!!!
Yeah, I love that word, fershlugging. It's from Disney's "Hercules." ANYWAY, I am getting extremely tired of walking into a bathroom, and seeing unflushed turds in the toilet. Or walking down into the basement, and seeing EVERY single light turned on, including the running lights in the Theater Room. Why? Seriously?
Don't even get me started on the TV. I walked into the house once (we'd run out to the dry cleaners in a hurry moments before) and every TV on every floor of the house had been left on. I was livid. Lectured my kids at length about leaving TVs on.
In one ear, out the other, apparently.
School days are the best. After the kerfuffle of getting the kids fed, dressed and packed off onto the school bus, I have to walk around the house, turning off lights and flushing toilets. FUN.
I've posted embarrassingly large signs. (FLUSH THE TOILET!!! TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!!! OR ELSE!!!) I've yelled. I've screamed. I've calmly explained. I've begged. I've threatened. I was reduced to telling Thing Two that, the next time he left pee unflushed in the toilet I was going to get a straw and make him drink it as punishment (of course I never really did, or I'd be in JAIL) and has any of it worked? For a while, maybe. Then we're back to being lazy about toilets and lights.
I want to scream, tear my hair out, and lock them in their rooms. I have to remind myself they are KIDS, but even kids can be somewhat responsible.
Suggestions, anyone? It's not like I can "take away the toilet privilege" or something. And remember, I've tried pretty much everything.
Maybe I just need to chalk it up to being a parent. But I'll never stop getting angry when they do it. And Letting them know I'm angry. That's the key. I think.
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7 comments:
If the TV is left on, they lose ALL television privileges for a week.
Toilet not flushed? No computer time. For a week.
If it continues, they start getting grounded, losing time at after-school activities, with friends, etc.
They won't take it seriously if there aren't consequences. After awhile, yelling is just like that New Yorker cartoon, where the person talks and all the dog hears is "blah, blah, blah."
If they know it is your achilles heel they'll never flush again.
Sort of like "not" cleaning your room because it drives your Dad crazy if you don't? heh, heh.
Mom
Amen, Devon.
The trouble is finding out WHO did it. The consequences sound great, but then you have another battle on your hands as to who will fess up. So then you think, fine. All of them get the consequence...but then resentment and bitterness ensues from the ones who didn't happen to do it that particular time.
I don't have the TV problem because we don't watch much and my kids won't ever leave them on, since they are not allowed to turn them on in the first place, without permission.
Lately, since I have two teens, I guess they think they are old enough that they can just turn them on without asking now or something. Sometimes I walk into the room, and one of them is watching TV!?!? Very odd for our home but it doesn't happen often because they know then they are grounded from it for a week. We only have two TVs and use one mainly to watch DVDs/listen to the kids' history lessons on. That is in our "school room" area. Then the big flat screen upstairs is for watching some shows and hubby and I watching our movies some nights. And, of course, playing video games sometimes...again...when they are allowed.
So maybe you could try that?? Just not ever having any of them on at all unless you have turned it on yourself/given them permission?? That way if it is their allotted time to watch...you may know who it was who left it on?? They could even earn TV time according to chores/schoolwork being done, etc. Except for once in a while when my teens forget themselves...our TVs just are not on unless other things are done and they have asked if they can watch some.
I dunno...tvs have always scared me like unfiltered internet access. We have a "net nanny" even for our teens. I don't like the idea of a TV being turned on and kids not being supervised and then witnessing who knows what. I guess since the idea of inviting ANYONE in my home in that way to corrupt and frighten my kids freaks me out so much...I just usually don't have an issue since my kids have known from birth that the TVs are rarely on and only if Mom says.
Hope all of my rambling made sense and you know what I am trying to say?? LOL
I heartily agree with Devon. It seems to work when you apply it to other things, so it would work with this one.
You should have a little "consequence board" where it lists the things that would be taken away if they forget. A nice little visual of how serious you are and what you will do, plus if you forget it's a nice reference tool too, lol.
And yes, "NO ONE" confesses to the unflushed toilet!
IT's the dang neighbors. Or the "Not Me" ghost who runs around terrorizing our household on the sly...
Actually...you know who it is??
I had my kids memorize this poem and then they recited it once at our monthly public speaking at the pizza parlor that we have with our home school group. Check this out ~
Ahem...
I know a funny little man,
As quiet as a mouse,
Who does the mischief that is done
In everybody's house!
There's no one ever sees his face,
And yet we all agree
That every plate we break was cracked
By Mr.Nobody.
'Tis he who always tears our books,
Who leaves the door ajar,
He pulls the buttons from our shirts,
And scatters pins afar;
That squeaking door will always squeak,
For, prithee, don't you see,
We leave the oiling to be done
By Mr. Nobody
The finger marks upon the door
By none of us were made;
We never leave the blinds unclosed,
To let the curtains fade.
The ink we never spill; the boots
That lying 'round you see
Are not our boots -- they all belong
To Mr. Nobody
Boy did they get cheered when they finished that one! One of my sons said it, as my daughter acted out the things Mr. Nobody was doing. It was so cute, they practiced for weeks during our daily Language Arts lessons:) Thought of how they would present it all on their own, etc.
The point is --- these consequences are great in theory, right Lara?? It is just putting them into practice that is next to impossible. If we SEE one of our children do something...simple enough to dole out a consequence. Except that half the time we are so busy with cooking/cleaning, etc that we let things fall by the wayside when we shouldn't sometimes. If we don't see it happen?? We are pretty much out of luck and this "Mr. Nobody" gets away with it again!
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