I'm usually in a pretty good mood. When my kids were younger, that mood would start evaporating the closer we got to bedtime. We'd start the nightly rituals of finishing schoolwork, finding clothes for tomorrow, getting bedtime snacks, brushing teeth and getting into pajamas with PLENTY of time to spare. But somehow, the clock always passed the appointed time and I was no longer a happy camper.
And THEN. I would enter the bedrooms.
Lord have mercy, it looks like something exploded in there.
Do these children have no pride in their belongings? Do they not realize the hard work and sacrifice that went into providing all those stuffed animals, tossed so carelessly on the floor? And the Legos! Must they always be underfoot? And are these heaps of clothes clean or dirty? Alright, who was eating crackers in here?
Please tell me I wasn't alone in my frustration.
Today's Small Thing is to focus on just ONE (kid) bedroom in your house. Now, I know that kids should be responsible enough to clean up their own rooms and take care of their own stuff. Haven't you been trying to teach them that their whole lives? But children are just like adults, in that they are often overwhelmed by the size of the mess they've made and have no idea where to start. They sometimes need outside help to either get them started, or keep them moving.
Cleaning up kids' rooms can be very taxing on your patience. I'm just warning you now.
But it's good to think that, by giving them a helping hand, you are helping them love order and beauty.
Occasionally, I've cleaned my older children's rooms as a gift to them. They did not expect me to clean it, and if they did, they'd have another thing coming. But the delight on their faces to see a vacuumed floor and a made bed with the teddy bears on it, made me see that they too, enjoy a gift of service when it is done with love. If you choose to do this, remember that you're not making a habit of spoiling them, you're just showing them what clean looks like. And if you can do it with a smile, well, you're getting another jewel in your crown.
If you don't have children at home, just focus on your bedroom today. Even if most of the house is a horrible mess, working steadily at one area will give you a feeling a great satisfaction.
POINTS: 50 for helping a child clean his/her bedroom, or giving a gift of service by doing it (just this once!) for him/her.
