My 11 year old daughter and I had a standoff in her bathroom this weekend. She “claimed” she was finished with her chores, so I went into her bedroom and bathroom to inspect her work. Most weeks, I give her the benefit of the doubt and I don’t do an inspection. But it was about time for an inspection, as she has been slacking when comes to her chores lately.
When I went into the bathroom to inspect the sink, toilet and tub, there were some tell-tale signs that either she did not clean her bathroom at all (the way I showed her) or she was rushing through her chores and not really putting any effort into them.
I wanted to give her a chance to come clean (pun intended.) So I asked her, have you been cleaning your bathtub the way I showed you, which includes cleaning the tile, the tub, and under the bath mat. And of course, she said: “ Yes mom, every week.”
In addition to the fact that her tile had signs that mold was about to start growing on them, I found a Chia Mat (pronounced Chee-uh Mat) in her tub. The Clorox Ick-tionary, www.icktionary.com , defines Chia Mat to be when your bathroom mat starts to grow mold that looks like hair….YUCK!
Her bathroom mat had not been cleaned in weeks! And she was not happy when I made her give her entire bathroom a deep cleaning and scrubbing.
It’s been very challenging to teach my kids how to do their chores properly. But it is a challenge that I face head on. Why? Because some time in the future, I want them to be able take care of their homes. Because some time in the future, I hope their spouses/mates or roommates don’t hate me for not teaching my kids how to cleanup. And finally, because they live in my house and I don’t want to live with Chia Mats!!
My daugher spent over an hour trying to get her bathroom clean. She was scrubbing, pouting, and sweating. She really had to use some elbow grease.
If you have kids, then I am quite sure you have experienced your fair share of icky situations. Check out the Clorox® Ick-tionary, www.icktionary.com , an wiki for everyday ick – that will make you laugh, commiserate, and conquer the icky situations that everyone goes through.
Pick a term from the Clorox Icktionary, define it and share a funny story about that term as it happened in your life!
Share your parenting ick moment for a chance to win a $250 Spa Day from Clorox! Visit www.icktionary.com to learn the new language for ick and how Clorox® cleaning and laundry products can help you tackle the next icky situation in your home,
This post is brought to you by The Clorox Company. I have partnered with them to spread the word about Clorox’s Ick-tionary program. To share Ick-tionary terms and real life messes, visit www.icktionary.com. All opinions and stories are my own. Official Sweepstakes Rules