The Last of something

[luvmarypoppins]

Do you have this problem in your house? Just wondering what you do to solve it, deal with it etc.

With my 3 ds, its driving me crazy. They are 22,20 and 18 and all live at home.

For example: yest. there are no towels in the linen closet, No one told me it was the last one they were using or I would have washed them etc.

I asked dh for some tylenol. He tells me there is none left in the bottle.

The ds who have their own bathroom come into our bathroom and get soap because they say "we are out"

On ds is lifeguarding this summer and I had to ask him yest. how is your sunscreen supply? He said oh yeah, my bottle will be empty tomm. (couldnt tell me this before we did the grocery shopping the other day.

I dont even want to talk about the food stuff.

So how do you handle this, keep asking? make a list for them to write on etc? I dont want to constantly look in the cabinets etc.

Maybe they assume we have a magic bathroom and the new thing they need will just appear??

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Hmm...I'll have to ask my DW about this. She seems to be in touch with a tribe of magical elves and I believe they take care of this stuff for me.

 

[NMAmy]

Your children are adults and are old enough that if they don't let you know that something is gone, they should just have to deal with the consequences. What will happen when they move out?

DD is 19 and is home from college for the summer. She has her own stash of towels and when hers are gone, she knows she'd better plan on doing some laundry and not take ours. I don't keep track of her sunscreen and other toiletry items--those are her responsibility, not mine. As for food, we have a rule in my house that if you use the last item, you leave the empty box, container, etc on the counter so I can see it or write it on the shopping list or come to the grocery store with me.

If they keep running out of stuff, they'll realize that little elves do not come in and magically replace items and, in the real world, someone actually has to go to the store.

 

[MarilIncredible]

Well, we instituted a rule that if you finish it, you replace it as far as things like toilet paper, toiletries, etc. go.

The only thing my DH is bad about is finishing off food items and not letting me know. He has gotten better over the years about adding items to the grocery list ont he fridge if he finishes things off.

 

[DeniseinNS]

They are adults and old enough to do things for themselves, if they run out of stuff then make them do without or do a load of towels (keep a few extras for yourself in your bedroom) As for sunscreen, at that age they should be taking care of that themselves.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Do you have this problem in your house? Just wondering what you do to solve it, deal with it etc.

With my 3 ds, its driving me crazy. They are 22,20 and 18 and all live at home.

For example: yest. there are no towels in the linen closet, No one told me it was the last one they were using or I would have washed them etc.

I asked dh for some tylenol. He tells me there is none left in the bottle.

The ds who have their own bathroom come into our bathroom and get soap because they say "we are out"

On ds is lifeguarding this summer and I had to ask him yest. how is your sunscreen supply? He said oh yeah, my bottle will be empty tomm. (couldnt tell me this before we did the grocery shopping the other day.

I dont even want to talk about the food stuff.

So how do you handle this, keep asking? make a list for them to write on etc? I dont want to constantly look in the cabinets etc.

Maybe they assume we have a magic bathroom and the new thing they need will just appear??

How would I handle it? Tell the oldest two to buy their own soap, sunscreen...

Tell the youngest to speak up or do without.

As far as towels, introduce all 3 to the washer and dryer.

 

[Dax]

My DH is famous for this...letting things run down to nothing...whats worse, he works in a GROCERY STORE..no excuse to run out of anything..

He is famous for telling me he needs his Rx filled, as he is taking the last pill!! I seem to be the only one who can call and get them filled...

 

[luvmy3jewels]

Yep, I definitely have this problem in my house. My kids and dh seem to think I have a special version of ESP that allows me to sense when we are out of things. Often it is toilet paper and I am the one to discover there is only 1 square left on our last roll in the middle of the night!!

 

[okeydokey]

How would I handle it? Tell the oldest two to buy their own soap, sunscreen...

Tell the youngest to speak up or do without.

As far as towels, introduce all 3 to the washer and dryer.

Exactly.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

When I go to the store I ask for an inventory list of things they need. When that seems to not be working I force them to go to the store with me.

DH and I keep a running list of things we need, so that helps as well. If I don't write it down when someone mentions it, I will never remember when I go to the store.

As far as laundry they would be expected to help. I wake them up early and make them do laundry like a drill sargent. In fact, I am about to do that now.They can go back to bed but they need to get their stuff going.

 

[JessicaR]

I stock up on everything. I hate running out of something thats used often so I always have plenty and buy it when its on sale, need it or not.

The only thing we run out of occasionally is milk! Sometimes they drink it quicker and its just gone. In that case they can go and get some!

Towels and laundry they can do that too but I admit its always done for them. Like I said I dont like running out of anything. I tell my family constantly this is a really nice hotel you get to live in!

 

[Luvchefmic]

Hmm...I'll have to ask my DW about this. She seems to be in touch with a tribe of magical elves and I believe they take care of this stuff for me.

Hey I didn't realize I married your brother

 

[Abbie]

Hmm...I'll have to ask my DW about this. She seems to be in touch with a tribe of magical elves and I believe they take care of this stuff for me.

Pretty sure my DH thinks the same thing!

Haven't read responses yet, but what I personally would do is guard my own supplies, then the sons are on their own! Hand them paper, have them make their own lists, then they can take care of heading to Walmart when they are out of stuff.

I would also be having the "don't-be-thoughtless-and-there-are-more-of-us-here-than-just-you" discussion with the family!

And I would be teaching all of them the mysteries of the washer and dryer!

 

[Pumbaa_]

Time to have/make/let the 'kids' be responsible adults

Laundry - do your own
Toilettires - on your own
Medications - iffy on this one, but if they take and don't replace/tell you, on their own

Their future life partners will thank you for making them responsible

(I say this as someone whose Mom did everything. Very hard to transition to taking care of everything on your own)

 

[powellrj]

I have the same problem at my house. I pretty much buy everything we use in bulk so I never run out.

 

[scrapquitler]

In my house the general rule is: when you open a new package of something, write it on the list so the shopping fairy (that would be ME) can get more. So when the new bottle of shampoo gets opened, I get another the next time I go Shopping.

Same with things like the towels. If you take the last one, you beter find some more to put on the shelf, or at least let the laundry fairy (again, that would be ME) know so that clean ones appear on the shelf soon. Of course teaching my 13 year old daughter to wash her own clothes helped a lot. Somehow the lesson on "put the laundry away after it is washed" didn't sink in, but it's a start.

As older teens, the OPs children should certainly be able to handle getting clean towels from the laundry room, writing items on the shopping list and even going to the store to buy things for themselves.

 

[Duckyiam71]

Fortunately or unfortunately, I dont have this problem right now. My DH is deployed so it is just me and the 2 DSs. So I am the only who supplies the household goodies. My DSs are 6 and 10 and they do their own laundry and they let me know when they have towels to be washed. That way we can do a load of towels together. My DS 10 will even write down on the grocery list what they want or need(candy slips in there too on occasion). Sorry I dont have any real solutions to your dilmena. But I will send you some

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

I shop once a week. We keep a white board in the kitchen. If anyone uses the last of something/notices it's low, they write it on the board. When I make the grocery list, I copy everything down from that board.

Problem comes when DH thinks the board has magical powers. I think he believes if he writes something on it, he'll go to the cupboard and it will mysteriously appear.

Must be that magical elf tribe thing Toad_Passenger has working for him...

 

[powellrj]

Yesterday after we dropped DS off at work, he asked what our plans were for the day and DH told him we were making a trip to Sams Club. DS told him we are so lame, what kind of people do that on a Saturday afternoon. I told him the kind of people who keep him supplied in food, toilet paper and household supplies. I guess he thought some supply fairy kept the house going.

 

[PatsGirl]

I keep a running list on the fridge and just grab it when I head to the store about every two weeks. Both kids have learned the hard way that if its not on the list it won't be replaced and even if its on the list you can't expect it right away. DD learns quick ~ the first time she had to go without ketchup (she puts this on everything!) and then wait several days before I went to the store. I think we now have a stockpile of ketchup and maple syrup, she just adds both to the list at will

She also learned quickly about not having clean clothes and has been in charge of the laundry for herself and me for about the last 2 years. She tends to do at least one load every other day so we're always in clean towels and such.

DS never really caught on to the system and often went without his soap, shampoo, favorite foods. He would occasionally (pre-date usually, lol) run out to CVS and stock up himself but then had to pay for it himself. He seems to be doing better now and he just turned 20. Last time he was home on leave I noticed he had all his toiletries with him