Have you ever felt that you wanted to live completely alone

[Tiggeroo]

If you don't?
I have three college kids who live with me for different amounts of time, part time for all but one but at least one is always here, sometimes all three. I also have a dh who just went back to work after being out of work for five months. They are all making me crazy. My college kids are responsible but not as neat as they think they are. If they clean up after themselves they do it kinda sorta. They'll look at the remaining one dish and the sink and say it's not theirs, they'll fail to see the crumbs on the counter or the food dregs in the sink. Two of them would never pick up a broom if it is not asked of them. So they are making me crazy.
Dh has, in his time off turned my big beautiful deck into his storage area, as well as most of my closet. Periodically he'll straighten it up but he completely lacks the ability to know how it should look. He has also taken over my big closet with his stuff. He'll straighten it up but he just needs to get rid of some things or buy a shed or something, I don't know. Now he's back to work so he has much less time to make these messes but he's jumped into 60 hour weeks so no time to clean them up. I'm home sick and thinking I should get up and clean up this junk.
I thought when I didn't have little kids any more I'd be living with my home the way I want. How do you get your family to get with the program without nagging all of the time.

 

[golfgal]

Make a list of what everyone is responsible to do and when. There is no reason you should have to pick up after anyone. Talk to everyone and let them know your expectations-they can't read your mind-but I do agree-HOW HARD IS IT TO WIPE UP SOME CRUMBS!!

In our house my DH is like your kids-just doesn't see when things are dirty, nor does he realize that I just spent all fricken day cleaning the stove because he never noticed that it was dirty.

As for the storage stuff for your DH, give him 2 weeks to get it cleared out or you are calling for a garbage dumpster.

Most people won't tackle a big project without a deadline.

 

[Tiggeroo]

sadly the one child who has become naturally neat is the one who is almost completely moved out.
I like the idea of a deadline for dh. He used to have a large work truck and now is keeping much of that stuff here. If it's all in tubs in the back corner of the deck, nobody will ever see it and I'm completely fine with it. But he has a small business and frequently needs all of this stuff and it never goes back right. I will probably be nice to him and do the closet because he is working so much. It feels childish but I guess I have to make a chore list for the two kids who are here most. I think it has gotten worst with the college kids because they aren't here all of the time. They blow thru and leave a mess. When they were younger they didn't do this because they were grounded.

 

[PrincessDana]

Yes!! I think about it at least once a week.

My DD15 and my SO are slobs...major slobs. To the point it blows my mind.

I don't need many things...they both want to hang on to everything and collect a bunch more. I stopped doing laundry for anyone but myself 2-3 month ago, because I took it personally that the clothes I just cleaned ended up in piles on the floor!! I let my SO took over the spare bedroom for his junk...in hopes that he could keep his mess confined to one area...it's kinda helped.

I honestly think I could be happy in a studio apartment with a nice large patio with lots of visiting, lol.

On the bright side...they are both really great people!! LOL

And I guess a messy teenager who is well-mannered, gets good grades, and isn't completely boy crazy is much better than a surly hateful teenager, lol. Or that's what I tell myself anyway.

 

[ChrizJen]

YES! I often think about how easy it would be if I lived by myself. My DP used to go out of town with work for a week at a time, and I would usually get things spotless right before she left. I was able to keep things spotless the whole time she was gone. But as soon as she came home, it was a mess again!! It's so frustrating. Even my 3-yr-old is easier to keep up after than she is!! I definitely think about how nice it would be if I only had myself to clean up after.
But then I think about how lonely I would get, and I give up on the idea.

 

[punkin]

DD just came home from college for break. She said: "the house looks so neat. Was I the one who was the pig messing it up?".

 

[RitaE]

There was this cute little house up by the Post Office for sale for over a year.
A nice little house with a nice front porch, with flowers in the flower beds and no basketball hoop.. I think an old lady lived there, but then she died.

I'd point it out to DH and say "I love that house! I wish we could buy it!"

and he was like "Are you nuts? It's little. We'd never all fit in that thing!"

and I'd say

"I know. I could go there. Alone. And sit in my cute little quiet house that was free of boy clutter and dog clutter. And be alone. In the quiet."

Then when I was ready I'd go back to them.

But yes, I guess sometimes my dream is to be the little old lady that lives by the Post Office.

 

[momrek06]

My DS' lived away at college and finally DH & I had the whole house to ourselves even if it was only say 9 months out of the year. And a few random college breaks here and there.

THEN THEY GRADUATED. Ugh. Move back home with us. Ugh.

But ff to today.
DS#1 has his own apt. an hour away and DS#2 is back in school (law) on the east coast.

I love having an "empty nest"!!!

 

[Poohbear123]

I got rid of the kids 10 years ago, now if only I could get rid of DH..........(sigh)

 

[AKL_Megs]

Never.

I am gone for work, alone, sometimes five days a week.

It's too quiet, too lonely.

 

[CathrynRose]

Yes! You're tapping into my brain waves, today! I was *just* thinking this.

We have a full finished basement, where my 19 & 15 y/o "live". I imagine the space down there - if it was mine.

Not to mention - because the boys are downstairs, I have two extra bedrooms upstairs. My husband has taken the middle sized one. It's filled with his crap. Not in boxes, like storage, but rather 'on display'. I call it "The Museum".

Yes. I'd rather be here alone - with Charley. I don't even want Hazel here - she's a mess making, chaos causer, too.

 

[MerMom60_94]

This past weekend DD went away on a trip with her school from Friday to Monday night. I cleaned the house Saturday while DH worked a 24 hour shift. Guess what...it was still clean when I went back to work Monday morning!! I was so psyched. Plus, I had spent an entire day to myself cleaning and cooking and chilling out. I didn't have to deal with anyone else's agenda and I could do what I wanted when I wanted. It felt sooooo good! I don't know that I would want to live alone all the time, but I definitely relish any alone time I do get. I definitely need a lot of "self time" so I bet I would do better than most with it.

 

[minkydog]

I know what you mean. We finally got the two older boys out of the house and DD17 is set to go off to college next fall, leaving DS15 at home for another few years. I love my kids dearly, but i really LOVE having my house to myself and DH.

My mom says the hardest age is when they're in college--not quite old enough(or rich enough!) to be on their own, but they know EVERYTHING. She couldn't wait for us to come home, but after about 3 days she was ready to ship us off to ANYWHERE ELSE.

 

[C.Ann]

Well I do - most of the time..

When I'm here at the lake I live alone 7 to 8 months out of the year (although for 6 months of that time my DD & her family come up on weekends and stay in their travel trailer down on my extra lot).. I really enjoy my "alone" times - M thru Fri. - but then always look forward to them arriving on Friday nights.. Once they take their trailer home (sooner than I leave), I really do miss them..

The winter months that I'm at their house, I enjoy being with them every day - but I do start to get antsy around March, wanting to get back up here again..

I'm "picky" about how I like things - in a certain order; table always cleared off; bed made every morning; dishes washed by hand; etc. - so I'm not very happy when someone comes in here and upsets my routine.. (And yes - I do believe I have some "OCD-ish" qualities - LOL..)

The one thing my late DH used to do that drove me absolutely insane was to open a kitchen cupboard door - and then not close it again.. Drove me nuts!! But if that's the "worst" he did, I was a very, very lucky lady..

 

[bumbershoot]

DD just came home from college for break. She said: "the house looks so neat. Was I the one who was the pig messing it up?".

 

[Robinrs]

I lived completely alone for 8 years.... 28 to 36... I like it better now.

 

[BillSears]

I do live alone. I was divorced long ago and raised my daughter. She's been out of college for a few years and on her own. She just got married this weekend.

It's just me at home and I love it! But I'm an introvert at heart so I love my alone time.

 

[NMAmy]

Nope, I still want DH and the dog to live here with me--neither one is ever really annoying to me or particularly messy or demanding. I miss dd when she's at college but it does take a few weeks to adjust to the chaos again when she's home. Then it's way too quiet when she's gone.

I'd be too lonely if I lived alone.

 

[CathrynRose]

I'd be too lonely if I lived alone.

I'm an only child. I wonder if that has anything to do with it?

I truly wouldn't mind living alone (with Charley, mind you.. ) I don't wanna be a hermit and never leave the house or socialize with anyone - but in my home? Perfectly happy alllllll byyyyy myyyyself!

ETA - I lock myself in my room a lot. I have a whole different reason for using the "I have a headache" excuse. Ha!

 

[J Le]

Yes, I'd love to live alone. But then I think 'Who'd clean up after me?'