Why do you have to be so mean?

[IMGONNABE40!]

This from my DS 11 this morning. Okay, let me know if you think this is over the edge.

I have gotten tired of DS leaving wet towels on the floor in his room. I have been telling him that hanging his towel after his shower is his responsibilty probably for the last two years. In a good week he will hang his towel about 50% of the time (not hung in a fashion that will allow it to dry mind you--but I could work with that).

So Tuesday night I have had it with the towels on the floor and decided to punish my son from towels! He now has only a washcloth to use after his shower, and another washcloth in his sink area to use when he washes his hands. I am thinking that if he shows he can hang his washcloth for a week then I will let him have his towels back.

So, what do you think? Lunatic mother or reasonable solution? If you go with lunatic, please offer alternative suggestions. Thank you.

 

[Hillbeans]

I actually think this is a great idea. Sometimes you have to resort to unconventional methods to get your point across.

 

[stinkerbelle]

I can quite honestly say that my mother did this to me, my brother AND my father.

my brother and I had washclothes...my father only had a hand-towel.

my father left the wet towels on the bed, my brother and I on the floor.

sadly - my father still does this...she never really broke him of that habit.

You are NOT a lunatic mother - I think it's a pretty creative way to get your point across without yelling or grounding.

 

[Tinkerbelle739]

I am taking notes.... LOL, that is too funny and I will remember that tactic when my kids are a little older.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My solution would be to wash the towels for a month lets's say (laundry) AND clean the bathroom INCLUDING the toliet for a month. (Unless of course he already does this. Which in that case you are way ahead of me!)

I like to give punishments that help me out and have them learn something.
Cleaning the toliet is great for those backtalking teens!

 

[browneyes]

Tell your ds it's your job to be mean.

 

[stinkerbelle]

Originally posted by Tinkerbelle739
I am taking notes.... LOL, that is too funny and I will remember that tactic when my kids are a little older.

Want another idea?

My mom was FAMOUS for this.

If my room just got to the point where drawers wouldn't close and stuff was falling out of the closet, and I had just refused to clean it up after her going blue in the face from yelling at me....I would come home from school to find my door closed.

ruh-roh.

She would dump EVERYTHING in the middle of my room. All my dresser drawers, all my desk drawers (yep - markers on top of clothes, paper EVERYWHERE), then pull everything out of my closet.

it was a good 4 hours of cleaning to be had. She did this about 3-4 times a year. Totally sucked...but I do have to say, I keep an amazingly clean house now! (And I always found a bunch of stuff to donate to good will after all those cleanings)

also.

we had a very large yard growing up...my father would rake/blow all the leaves into one big pile in the middle of the yard. My mom would then LOCK us outside with rakes, barrels, and leaf bags.

yep - guess that's why you have kids - free labor! heheh

 

[Lynn CC]

We have a pool and people(even guests) are always leaving their wet towels on the hardwood floors or coming in dripping, I have a chamois mop that works really well
DH leaves his wet towels on the bed.
DS and DH are very neat people, it's just the towel thing.
You can only repeat yourself so much. I just pick them up and put them in the wash, it's not worth getting upset over.
Wet bathing suits are another story!

 

[GoofItUp]

I think the washcloth idea is great!

 

[mep319]

I can't say my DH would even care...and then I'd have wet floors to dry up...does you DS care?? If so then I saw its great....otherwise I like the clean the toilet thing...I'd also take away the computer for a week or so.

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

I think that is such a good idea. I am taking a mental note so when I have kids I can remember this. Luckily my DBF is way better at hanging up towels then I am.

 

[FINFAN]

M...ean
O...ld
M...om


I think you are completely justified...wet towels are an issue here too. Only way I'd disagree w/your choice is if it was kinda cold when getting out of the shower....see, I wimp out.


Pam

 

[emmagata]

If that doesn't work, take the wash cloth away and make him run around in the back yard so he can "air dry".

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Thanks for your support everyone.

The Mystery Machine--Wednesdays is toilet cleaning day in our house. DS is responsible for cleaning his toilet and I clean the others. If DS is having issues...he finds himself cleaning all of the toilets in the house--no matter the day.

browneyes--DH once told DS it was his job to be mean and without missig a beat DS replied that we will have to pay him overtime! Probably should not have, but we all bust out laughing at that one.

 

[soccerchick]

Stinkerbelle -- My mom did the same thing! Except, she did it right in front of me. She cleared out drawers, shelves, and the bedding.

I haven't done that w/ DD (4) yet but I have done the "throw your toys away" threat. I get out that garbage bag adn she gets moving.

 

[Hopefully]

When my DS was a teenager and I had enough with smelly damp towels in his room, and NO clean towels for the rest of us, I bought deep brown towels - totally different than all our others. He was told he could only use these two towels. If he brought them to the laundry, I would wash them. If not, he had only smelly damp towels to use!!!!

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Hopefully--I like that one too.
FinFan--DS was cold this morning--that is why he said I was so mean!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

My children 9 and 7 have a hard time remembering to throw away bathroom cups after rinsing, keeping towels off the floor and cleaning the bathroom sink after they are finished. I started charging them $1.00 for every violation.

It has worked like a charm. They only had to pay 1 time and now they remember to keep the bathroom tidy. This morning I heard my son reminding my daughter to be sure to throw her cup away.

Lori

 

[ValerieK]

I think this is a great idea! I might need to use this. My DS,10 does this also. I haven't really started to get on to him about it yet. He throws his towels on his floor.

My Uncle did a great thing with his DS. I guess my cousin was about 21 at the time and living at home. He never did anything around the house and his clothes were all over the place. He also never paid any rent . Well, my Uncle got tired of telling him to pick up and clean his clothes. My Uncle wanted to throw them all away but instead he took all of his clothes, including socks and underware to the Dry Cleaners. Since my Cousin wasted a lot of his money on junk he didn't have enough to get all the clothes out. He had to get his clothes out little by little. He would go in every couple of days to get a set of clothes. My cousin doesn't leave his clothes all over the place now

 

[wendyl]

This thread was the first laugh of the day. Thanks everyone. I love "mean" Mom stories. The washcloth solution is Brilliant--and Funny--my favorite combination.