The Laziest Generation

Well getting back into the weekly groove has been a challenge of it's own.  I am reposting the work list for everyday of the week in order to help guide my week and help get back into the groove.

Wash on Monday
Iron on Tuesday
Mend on Wednesday
Churn on Thursday
Clean on Friday
Bake on Saturday
Rest on Sunday

So today was supposedly wash day.  Ha!!! It was wash everything day. The dishes, the laundry, the floor, the stairs, the carpet.  So much washing today and if you stopped by.... well please don't stop by. Not yet. The washing isn't over.

I now have a labeled bin the in the laundry room that says Ironing. Tomorrow I am going to be able to walk right into that Laundry Room and grab that iron and .......  well that's tomorrow.  It's still wash day for another 2-ish hours right?

Ahhhh, but onto today's title- The Laziest Generation.  Raising 5 boys is an inherent challenge. Raising 1 boy is an inherent challenge. I have 1 boy that right now I am spending all my time "raising." He is very resistant to said raising, but I am not giving up.  I have been reading some new parenting books and I gotta say I am getting really tired of society's  "love your child, bring out their inner spirit, so we don't crush their souls, don't yell at your kids" garbage.  Before you judge, let me explain.

When I say, "Clean your room." That means clean your room. I have already shown you how to clean your room. I have labelled everything in your room.  Clean your room does not mean take the clothes you didn't feel like putting up, back in the dirty clothes hamper to be washed again. Nor does it mean to open drawers and bins and shove stuff wherever you can fit it.  Or hide your clothes and jackets in your little brothers' closet or my favorite hide stuff under the sink. And most importantly, clean your room does not mean lie to your mother about what you have been doing instead of cleaning your room.

Clean your room means: you have 10 drawers and 4 baskets. Each designed and created for a purpose. (Psssttt: in most cases they are labeled for you.) So why on Earth are you SHOCKED, when I venture into your room and started screaming in 3 different languages at you, when you have had 2 days to clean your room, and have VOWED to my face, before GOD, that your room is cleaned but in fact, the room looks like the FBI was in your room doing a search for dust mites and lost a paperclip.  Riddle me that Batman!

And then, no sooner have your ears stopped ringing from my tirade but before you apologize for the past lying and deceitfulness, you have the audacity, to ask me "when are you going to take me Target? I have my own money. Since I know you won't buy me anything."  Hmmmmm....

Needless to say, I now have possession of every electronic device.  They are grounded from electronics, batteries and LCD screens. That ought to free up some time, since they are too busy to actaully clean their rooms.

 I am desperately trying to instill a work ethic in them.  Although today, just ethics would have been nice.  You will have to actually WORK for want you want.  You don't get to just decide, "Oh I'll be on the PGA Tour." and BAM there you are.  It takes years of constant work improving your game and tireless effort honing your skills.  It's not hitting 10 balls on the driving range and calling it a day. We are still in the 10 balls a day mindset......

What does this mean for my lazy generation?  My lazy generation received a crystal clear wake up call today.  The grounding was lengthened and the chores that were once optional for payment, well those are now mandatory without payment for 2 weeks.  Failure to complete your chores on any day in the 14 day period earns you another week. No discussion, no appeals. If you don't do your work, I provide you another week in which to succeed.

I run a fairly strict household.  I believe in what I call "If-then" parenting.  If you do this, then this will happen.  It works for the good, and the bad.  Somewhere along the line in the last 2 years though, the boys stopped believing I would do what I say.  I'm not sure how this happened, but it did.  Not for lack of follow through on my part.  They have just decided to test every. single. boundary.

Ok then. Game on.  But they know I play to win, and I am NOT losing this round.

See it's really simple.  Do what you're told. When you are told. There is no appeals committee. No grievance council. Do your work. On time and correctly. Period.  And there is ABSOLUTELY NO WHINING about your work.

Tomorrow is a new day.  I can't wait to see how we rise and shine. Let's see how much we can change course of this glacier!!  Regardless, tomorrow I am getting out my iron and using it.

Happy Ironing