Growing up with eight kids in the house I know their was kid clutter. I don't remember our home ever being too messy, or a disaster area. This does not, however, include the fruit room. We all had chores after school and Saturday mornings. These were a wide selection from dishes, to picking up the sheep poop on the lawn, and everything in between. My mom was very good at picking out jobs and trying to stay on top of it. She must of finally had her fill of picking up kid clutter because she invented the Mad Box. If she picked anything up of yours, she put it in the mad box. There was no just getting, whatever it was of yours, out. You had to give a quarter, or whatever the amount was, to mom and she would get the item for you. If you had no money, which happened most of the time, you could earn your money by doing a chore worth way more
than a quarter. Sometimes you didn't even know something was missing until you desperately needed it; like on Sunday morning when your dress shoes were missing. Mom never caved in either. You couldn't whine or cry your way out of it. You just wore your play shoes to church. We all hated that mad box, except for mom. Looking back, I think my mother was a genius. I need to start my own mad box. Tanner, being 13 and a boy, doesn't see a problem with just dropping what ever it is in hand on the floor. McCray does the same. As I started my usual morning pick up and cleaning I noticed just how much I was picki
ng up after Tanner. These items were in the hall to his bedroom, the kitchen, the laundry room, outside, and the family room. And what is up with all of the dirty socks? No wonder the kid runs our of clean ones so fast. He is wearing three pairs a day! If I had a mad box in place, I could have earned $4.00 just from picking up after Tanner, or better yet, I would have had three bathrooms cleaned, dusting done, kitchen floor swept and mopped, dishwasher emptied, and the vacuuming done. Do you see how ingenious a mad box
6 comments:
Awesome idea! I wonder if it would work with husbands...probably not. Too bad!
Great idea! I think you should do it...
I only have 2 kids but I think I will be implementing one of these around here! Thanks for the GREAT idea!
Julie you always have the greatest ideas!!! Glad to know you so I can copy them :)
What a great idea! It's funny how your parents rules seemed so ridiculous when your growing up andd you swear you will never be like that with your own kids, and then as you become a parent and those same issues come up with your own kids you do what your parents did to you. I guess our parents weren't so dumb after all. Are you still planning on coming to my ornament party next week?
Your a genius!!! Wow, the mad box seems like the best idea EVER!!!
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