So about nine million years ago, The Boy and I squared off on the issue of his messy room. You all voted and gave very well thought out suggestions. All big improvements on my approach to dealing with his pig sty of a room, which was banging my head against the wall and muttering obscenities under my breath. Before I post the pictures of what his room looks like now, I want to address a few things.
Many people noted that there was a lack of proper storage space in his room. Ah, but that is not so. All storage options were buried in his filth…..and you will see that in the new photos.
Many people mentioned that it was too overwhelming for him to be expected to clean on his own. You would be right. The Boy has never ever (Never in his life. Never ever ever. Did I mention Never?) cleaned his room on his own. That was my beef. I was at my wit’s end with helping him clean up his room, only to have it look like a hurricane hit it a day later. When the first set of photos were taken, it was only a week or so after his room had been gutted and cleaned top to bottom to fit in that evil futon. Which brings up another point mentioned….yes, his room is a wee bit crowded. That was his choice. He wanted that futon, that had been living in a box in the garage, in his room in the worst way. After a full 4 hours of assembly (the manufacturer had included the wrong bolts), and another couple hours of furniture Tetris, is was in. He was happy. He began calling his room “The Lounge.” The creation of “The Lounge” was part of his birthday present. We painted his room and hung posters as well. But still, a few days later, the filth returned to “The Lounge.” We needed a way to get The Boy to keep his mess at a manageable enough level for him to clean up himself.
So? What does his room look like now?
Look! No filth! Are you admiring my fantastic leopard print jammies?
And Look! Storage!
Quite a difference from this, isn’t it?
“The Lounge” and its host….
It’s been about a week, and the room still looks pretty close to what you see in the pictures. Why, you ask? How did we convince him to keep it clean? Well, both The Boy and The Girl were told that not a single present would be opened on Christmas morning if their rooms were not clean. While this is working for the short term….then what? Well, we have purchased a present for The Boy….one that he desperately wanted….one that I have been dragging my heels on……That present? Will only be accessible to him when/if his room is clean. Period. Will it work? We shall see. But for right now, I am going to go hang out in “The Lounge.”
9 responses so far ↓
1 Kelley // Dec 23, 2007 at 8:50 am
ooooh the power of threats. Works wonders.
I asked Too to tidy Boo’s room for me. Just picking up a few toys and making the bed. I came in a half hour later and the room was spotless. She liked the result so much She. Cleaned. Her. Room. I nearly fell over.
Santa is very impressed.
I am loving The Boy’s room. Looks very grown up and teenage like. It is very much a mans room. Bravo Boy!!!
2 kristen // Dec 23, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Ah, the ongoing struggle. Us v. Them. I hope he enjoys living in the new cleaned up space so much that he will take initiative in the future to keep it that way.
Good luck! And Merry Christmas!!
3 Blog Antagonist // Dec 23, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Well, we have the same problem. Both of my boys have Add/Adhd. We’ve found that if things get too far out of control, the job becomes far too overwhelming for them.
So. We have decreed that each night before bed, they must spend 15 minutes tidying up. Then weekly, they must dust, vacuum, change sheets, etc.
Their rooms still aren’t pristine, of course. They’re kids, and they’re male. But it has helped a great deal.
BTW, I LOVE those wooden storage things with the bins. Where did they come from??
4 Blog Antagonist // Dec 23, 2007 at 5:02 pm
OOPS, forgot to say…his rooom looks GREAT. I like the decor, and it’s much less cluttered than my son’s room.
5 Daisy // Dec 23, 2007 at 9:45 pm
The room looks so much better! I hope he’s proud; I can tell you are, and rightfully so.
You’ll be glad he has that futon when college rolls around. My daughter took her good mattress to school; she uses her futon when she’s home.
6 AngelNicki // Dec 24, 2007 at 1:25 am
Much better! Now can you come help me with mine?
Dude your cats are so miniscule! i thought they were stuffed animals for a minute. Maybe just cause my cat is like a leopard.
7 AngelNicki // Dec 24, 2007 at 1:27 am
Oh crap they ARE stuffed animals aren’t they!
8 mel // Dec 24, 2007 at 6:36 am
Yes, they are stuffed.
Our real cats are on my blog under “Meet the Freak Parade” where it says Freaky Cats. I was just pointing out that his room was full of cats and airplanes…of course. 
Mel
9 Casdok // Dec 24, 2007 at 9:50 am
Well done!!
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