Posted by Penny on January 7, 2004, at 7:59:49
In reply to How do I keep my room clean???, posted by jay on January 6, 2004, at 21:46:30
Oh boy, Jay, I wish I knew! I was just talking to the mother of some of the kids I sit for about this the other day. Her house is always very 'lived in', i.e., messy! She'll clean it up, but 2 hours later it's as though she did nothing. But the family I used to nanny part-time for, who had two small children and no cleaning person, had a house that was almost always immaculate. I was living with them when it was on the market, so it had to be in 'showing condition' all the time, so they could leave with a moment's notice if a potential buyer wanted to come by. I don't know how, with a 2 and 4-year-old, the mom managed to keep the house so *clean*, but she did, and still does, even though their current house isn't on the market!
But, I'll tell you - when I lived with them (in their guest house) I had to learn to become 'neat' when their house was on the market. Now that I'm by myself again, my house is a mess!!! Too much stuff!!! So, if you want incentive to keep your room clean, live somewhere where you have no choice!
Do you live in an apartment or a house? Alone or with roommates? Is the entire place messy, or just one room? I 'cleaned' for New Year's, but decided that I would clean the living room, bathroom and kitchen, as I was having company. I closed the door to my bedroom, which was filled with stuff that I still haven't unpacked since moving in OCTOBER, and I left the dining room alone, which is also filled with boxes. My other recommendation on how to stay 'neat' - don't have so much stuff! I think that if I didn't have as much stuff as I have, it wouldn't be nearly as big a deal to keep it picked up and put away.
Sigh. Let us know if you work this one out! It's one of my biggest challenges.
P
poster:Penny
thread:297417
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20031229/msgs/297537.html