Either the girls forgot the house rules or got a little spoiled with all our traveling and busy summer!  With everything going on this summer instead of waiting for them to pick up and turn their clothes right side out for laundry day I would just do it since I needed to repack the suitcase or wanted to get the house pick up.  The beginning of the school year got off to a rough start in house department because they must of thought it was okay or normal to just throw their clothes on the bathroom floor before their showers, leave headbands on the sink, and other random items placed in odd spots through the house and their rooms.

After several days of being nice and reminding them to pick up after themselves I decided it was time to do something else to get their attention.  On that particular night I had already wading through their piles of clothes on the bathroom floor, picked up pieces of confetti paper off the dining room floor, put away their library books, placed more items than their bar stools would hold to be put away, and more craziness.  In my quest to pick of the house I found a piece of notebook paper on the kitchen floor and scribbled out my note.  The deal was either you pick up your stuff or breakfast will not be served that morning (and yes it was a school morning).  I let Jake read my note first just in case I was being too zealous with my request.  My first comment to him was “Order will be restored in this house!”  Jake thought it was hilarious!

Guess what!?  IT WORKED!!!  You should have seen the girls reactions when they came to breakfast and saw the note on the counter instead of their food.  Too funny!  The next few minutes were a whirlwind of  them scurrying around the house to put all their stuff away.  They got everything done and in record time too.  They both even got to eat breakfast that morning!  The biggest benefit though was that it reminded them of their responsibilities and while we to still have an off day once in a great while it has been MUCH better.

When everyone in the family works together to put away their items in the proper places the whole family can enjoy a much more livable house.  I don’t mind cleaning, but really don’t want to be a full time personal maid when everyone is perfectly capable of helping out.   No more wading through piles of clothes, tripping over shoes, washing my hands with headbands in the sink, or random items spread throughout the house!

Hopefully this will be the last time I have to remind them.  It wasn’t a fancy note and it was done a little off the cuff, but hey the message got across and it served it’s purpose!  I have debated back and forth whether or not to share this with you than decided that if I am going through this in my house it is probably happening in at least a couple other homes somewhere.  Maybe?!