Lazy Housewife

This week I've been working on the task of re-writing our family chore lists.  Why?  Because the current system doesn't work.  For one, my BIG children (almost 16 and 14) never remember to DO the chores.  I have to remind them.  Every.  Single.  PROFANITY. Day.

I'd like to just ask them "Do This..." but I always get attitude about how they don't know how (Even though they've been shown, and I've told them I will show them again.) or "That's HER chore" because the other one actually LIKES doing it or DOESN'T like the way the other one does it.  Even with the current chore lists....they switch off.  One claims to not know how to load the dishwasher, so Two ALWAYS does it.  One hates the way that Two puts away their clothes, so One ALWAYS does it.  This is not the point of the chores.  The POINT of the chores was/is to make sure you know how to do "all the things!"  When you are a single gal on your own, or when you're a roommate, or when you're a girlfriend/fiance/wife....you will KNOW how to take care of the house stuff.

Ugh.  *bangs head against keyboard*  kahsduhfwieuahgfiuew4hrt893wygadsjun

My POINT goes out the window when they just switch things up.  I'm thinking of using a different system, but again, I will have to be responsible for the system, and as I pointed out in my first paragraph I get tired of having to remind them EVERY DAY.  I feel like they are almost grown.  They KNOW what needs to be done.  Why do I have to point it out to you that you don't have any clean clothes and you might want to do some laundry?  Why do I have to point out to you that the bathroom is disgusting and you should probably clean it up?  It's maddening.

However, I need/want them to pitch in, and once they don't live with me and therefore don't have me reminding them...they will probably live in filth.  But I will have done my best.  Damnit.  Since I need/want them to pitch in, I'm moving to a different system.  An "odd/even" system.  On Odd days One has to do ALL the chores I ask.  On Even days Two has to do ALL the chores I ask.  This also means that there are some more opportunities to get Three and Four in on this chore action.  Honestly, have you tried to write up 4 chore lists before?  I couldn't come up with enough stuff to do.  Maybe I wasn't trying hard enough.

I'll try to report back in a month about how my new slave efforts are going.