Our all men like this?

[gris gris]

Can you just remove the items that are a safety issue and try your best to ignore the rest of it?

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got (from a counselor) was to stop treating my DH like a child. He was an adult like me and can make his own decisions as to where things of his belong (obviously as long as it's not a safety issue). His workbench in our garage is always an unorganized mess. It used to bother me like crazy. Until I was reminded that it's his space, his stuff and it doesn't affect me at all. Now, I just walk by it and ignore it. Once in a while he gets tired of the mess and cleans it up himself. But not nagging him, or "yelling" at him, or bothering him about this stuff has helped us come a long way in our relationship. I used to act like a mom to him, but not anymore! Good luck with your DH.

 

[bicker]

I would worry about some of these suggestions verging on the passive-aggressive. Removing the safety hazards is critical, but beyond that, anything which is strictly punative may cause more problems than it solves.

 

[Cantw8]

OP, your DH needs to be tied naked to an anthill and covered in syrup....unless of course he's into that, in which case you have bigger problems than clutter, yes?

 

[noodleknitter]

OP, your DH needs to be tied naked to an anthill and covered in syrup....unless of course he's into that, in which case you have bigger problems than clutter, yes?

Well, at least you didn't bother with the whole passive-aggressive stuff!!

Love the advice about not parenting a spouse. I find most of the time I am feeling resentful is when I am being self-centered. "I deserve it", or I am not counting the time I have, like goofing on the computer. Just because I am also doing laundry doesn't justify it as "work-time!" If a parent works full-time, then they need some veg. time. If you aren't getting that, figure out how. Otherwise you will continue to resent when he does.

This isn't to justify nails on the ground, but, those are easily tidied.