So I Put Her in the Laundry Basket and Told Her She Either Stayed There or Cleaned

Parenting for me is an endless question of: "Is this mine, or somebody else's?" I constantly have to check into the words that are coming out of my mouth, to make sure that they are my 2018 words.

Sometimes I open up my mouth and my mother speaks, sometimes, my sister speaks, sometimes its that one lady I heard that one time, and sometimes its my younger self. By far, my younger self is the most dangerous, as she's just as loving as me, yet biting, and emotional, and destructive. Boom! Just for fun, is NOT a good parenting style.

Today was one of those days where, my April 2018 self was not parenting. A younger version of me was parenting. Or perhaps a tv parent that I can't place. Whoever it was, it wasn't me, as the consequences I give my children are sensible, fit the crime, are progressive and actually help the situation. (Just kidding - making up consequences is ridiculous to me and I usually just let stuff go with a "talk") Today, I was just reacting out of "you have to do something" parenting.

Advice to the younger parents: You don't have to do something.

Lately my kids have been pretending to be rocks. Every time momma needs some help, they drop into rock like shapes and say: "Im a rock." They stay that way until whatever help I need is done and they are no longer in danger of having to help.

"Can you put these dishes away?"

Im a rock

"Put your toys away."

Im a rock

"Put your clean laundry away."

Im a rock

Its actually really funny. I usually react by shutting down my pocketbook and the electronics. Rocks can't eat pizza, or play with tablets.

If momma goes grocery shopping, she only buys certain foods. Rocks don't eat sweets... or steak.

But today, I don't know who was in charge today. Even after the Costco trip was cancelled. No pizza! No samples! No walking through the books and toys and clothes and convincing mommy of a need!

It wasn't enough. Only 2 of the three bumpkins were on board with the cleaning up and one of the rocks started kicking and screaming that she would not clean. "IM NOT A CLEANER!"

So I put her in a laundry basket and told her she had to stay there until the house was cleaned up or she was ready to help.

Of course, consequences like that only work if you are willing and able to make the kid stay in the basket, until she cleans or the chores are done.

Not my style. It actually sounds like abuse. How much space is in that basket?

Its ok though. They'll still need that Costco trip tomorrow, and I have enough beans, tortillas, and rice to feed them for WEEKS. We have lettuce, tomatoes and apples too... I guess they'll be entertaining themselves with non-electronic stuff...

Who will break? They kids or the mom? Who will end up cleaning that living room?

---

Thank you for visiting my blog today. How do your kids get out of cleaning?