Let them be slobs or fight with em???

[pattyT]

DD 11 is such a slob!
I am sooo tired of fighting with her to keep it clean!

 

[Briarmom]

I vote slob!

 

[pixiemomma]

I was a slob until I was about 14. Then I realized it was really gross to live like a pig and began to tidy up after myself. Let her live in her mess...don't pick up a thing...sooner or later she will get the point.

 

[Twinkles6892]

I was a slob until I was about 14. Then I realized it was really gross to live like a pig and began to tidy up after myself. Let her live in her mess...don't pick up a thing...sooner or later she will get the point.

ITA, when my room gets messy enough, I pick it up, or if a boy's coming over, I'll voulentarily clean house

 

[Rachie0507]

I was an awful slob even through my teenage years but now that I have a house of my own, I keep it fairly neat. She'll grow out of it.

 

[Megster]

I'm a slob at home (I'm 19) but my dorm room is neat as a pin. As long as there is no food/things decomposing I say who cares. When she runs out of clean clothes cause they weren't washed she'll probably start to clean up.

 

[simba928]

My room is not dirty, but is messy. I have so much stuff and not enough places to put it. My mom always fights with me about it, but I feel that it is my room. I have to sleep in here and she doesn't. I wish she would leave me alone about it. I am 15, by the way.

 

[Laurajean1014]

I would fight with them. Children need to have a sense of order (not compulsion). If she wants friends over or needs to find something, she should keep her room clean and look presentable.

 

[GoofieRuthie]

My middle daughter is a slob also. I let it go as long as I can, then finally insist she cleans. She does her own laundry. Which is about once a month or when I finally blow a gasket and make her do it. The main reason I make her clean is because I am terrified that the house will catch fire and they won't be able to get out of the room or I won't be able to get to them. But, as long as they keep a path to the bed, I'm usually ok.

(I was in a fire when I was a teen, so this is a serious phobia of mine)

 

[ellyn2000]

I drove myself and my children crazy with my OCD about neatness. My DD would always try to convince me that disorder is a sign of high intelligence. I finally was able to just close their doors and let it go. What a relief! They are not allowed to leave any mess in the rest of the house and have to bring all of their dirty laundry out to me on Sat. and change their sheets. Other than that I don't even peek into their rooms. Oldest DS is now married and keeps a very neat house. DD is in college and her room is spotless but her room @home is pure craziness. Youngest DS just can't seem to put anything away.
I say give it up and plan on redecorating when they grow up and move out. That comes much too quickly anyway.

 

[debloco]

If it's just her room, I would let vote for letting it go.
Fighting with your preteen or teen over the state of their room feels like
"majoring in the minors" to me. Don't remember where I read about that concept, but it helps me.
I save the fighting with 'em about what I feel are the "majors": drinking, drugs, keeping yourself safe...etc.

 

[pattyT]

I let if "go " for a few weeks - then I go NUTS!
I keep threatening tha tin th enew house we aren't going to finish her room - we will let her live on plywood floors if she can't vaccum her rug!
(she broke the vaccum 2 weeks ago! grrrrrr - to much CRAP she tried to just suck up! lol)

 

[SwedishMeatball]

I'll let some clutter go for awhile, but certain things, like her bathroom and cat litter, I am a stickler about.

 

[Tiggeroo]

I let it go til I get sick of it then I crack down and insist on a total clean up. I try to completely let it go but I just can't do it too long.

 

[Disney Doll]

Let their rooms be as messy as they want, but make them keep the "common" areas of the house (livingroom, kitchen, family room etc) clean.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I let it go til I get sick of it then I crack down and insist on a total clean up. I try to completely let it go but I just can't do it too long.

Sounds like our house! I let DD know I am coming in with garbage bags to give her a chance to clean up because she knows that I throw away or pack up anything left on her floor! I need to clean again but I am SO not in the mood lately. Ugh...

 

[powellrj]

I let it go for a long time and then last summer I had it and went in each of their rooms and cleaned them out and threw away trash bags of junk and had bags that went to goodwill too. The funny thing was they were both so excited that they invited their friends over to see their rooms and show them off. We are going to do it again over christmas vacation.

 

[Stitchfans]

Must come with the age. My DD11 is a slob too. Hopefully she will grow out of it.

 

[aprilgail2]

I would just let them be...my mom used to just close the door to my room all day long so she didn't have to look at it...I plan on doing the same with my daughter...when she gets tired enough of it she will clean it.

 

[my3princes]

Wow, I guess I'm in the minority here, but I make my boys ages 10 and 8 pick up their rooms everyday. It doesn't take long if they stay on top of it and if I tell them to pick it up and they don't they have to go to bed one hour earlier each day until they do. They hate to go to bed early so they typically do it each day with little complaint.

Deb