The next time your kid says he has no socks.... don't believe him

[MissMillie]

I just came back from a trip to my sons room. I went up to get his laundry. I ascended the stairs 2 hours ago.

He had at least 5 loads of laundry in the bottom of his wardrobe... including about 12 pair of socks, which he said he didn't have.

His drawers were empty. His hamper was full (not including the 5 loads that was at the bottom of the wardrobe.

I'm exhausted, and I still have the rest of my Saturday chores to do.

Just what exactly qualifies for justifiable homicide these days? (of course, I'm kidding) He's about to fail his senior year, he doesn't take care of any of his things (clothes, video camera, music, video games, JROTC uniforms (I was tempted to have the commander come to an inspection on his room), shoes, and just about every gadget you can think of...), he lies all the time.

I don't get it. This is not what he lived with growing up. I thought children learned what they lived, and vice versa.

[miss_american_pie]

1. Nope

Children think that to individuate they must drive their mothers insane. I just was unaware it started at 4.

:hug:

[Jazz2006]

11. Individuate - that's a great word!

Mind if I steal it?

:hi:

And yes, I do believe that children are hard-wired to drive their mothers insane.



:crazy:

[miss_american_pie]

15. Oh I'm sure it doesn't belong to me

Have at it. :hi:

[radwriter0555]

2. So um, why are you doing his laundry? Let him do it.

My kid's been doing hers for 4 years now. She's 13.

I won't touch her stuff!

That child needs to learn how to live a life. Laundry is a good start! Stop waiting on him and treating him like a child and he'll start taking on some responsibilities when you stop making it so comfortable for him.

I suggest watching "Failure to Launch" if you want a good laugh about a brighter side of your situation... but there are lessons to be learned there.

Stop being so nice!!!!! BIG hugs, nothing worse than nasty teenage laundry. I won't touch it!

[Iniquitous Bunny]

3. That's it!

Natural consequences. My 14 year old does most of her laundry and helps with everyone else's when needed. She gets more privileges and is therefore expected to do more. My 10 year old son will be learning how to do laundry in the next few weeks. It's time. My job as a parent is to love them, support them, and untimately teach them how to be self-sufficient adults one day. As we both know, life is not a free ride.

[radwriter0555]

4. Absolutely.. I don't ever hear "I have no socks", I hear "I've GOT to do

laundry today!!!" and she does.

We'll share loads if we have a few small things etc, but I don't touch hers and I don't expect her to do mine, and that includes bedding. The few times I've found expensive toys laying around (camera, cell phone, ipod, cd's) they got confiscated by me for as LONG as I chose... She had to BEG me to get them back and you can bet that stuff is very well taken care of now.

It's living life as an adult.

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. My 16 year old ain't touching my first new washer and dryer...no siree Bob

She folds them and puts them away, and sorts them...but her hands will never touch the machines. :)

[radwriter0555]

6. LOL! I was like that for about a week with my first new one too!!!!! I

thought I was the only one!!!!

But now, oh hell, you can't break this stuff... and if she did break it, it shouldn't have broken and it's under warranty and I'd be getting a new one any how!

The joys of new appliances!!!!!

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. Hehe! In two years it's already had to be repaired twice, at the tune

of waiting almost two months the first time and 3 weeks this time.

You are not the only one...I'm the same way with the fridge...the vacuum....I'm nuts basically. ;) :hi:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

9. The fridge?

[radwriter0555]

10. okay, LOL! Confession time: I left the plastic wrapper on my new fridge

door handle for more than 2 years, until I sold the house I'd bought and put it in brand new...

You know, the protective plastic wrapping that cushions the fridge door handle?

Yep. Still on the handle the day I moved out of the house, about 30 months later.

[uppityperson]

8. Your kid sounds normal, congratulations

Mine runs out of socks, rewears them many times. I remind to do laundry on weekends and he gets it in washer/dryer, sometimes folds them, sometimes I fold so I can get them out of the way for mine (which I do willingly). I am amazed that in a week he will have 3 pairs of socks and 2 undies, 15 shirts, no pants. Oh well. GOod luck with him.

[Book Lover]

12. I like the idea of asking the commander to "inspect his quarters"

Ain't it a queer thing - non-parental units can carry more authority than we who have done the heavy lifting for 16+ years?

[philosophie_en_rose]

13. Look: Everyone knows that sock goblins hide socks!

:)

[Duer 157099]

14. I have a 12-year-old who sounds just like your son

(except for the JROTC thing)

How old is yours?

I don't know how to deal with this, either, especially the lack of interest in school/grades. Punishment doesn't work; rewards don't work. ::sigh:: And the not-taking-care-of-his-things! what's up with that????

I fully sympathize with you.

[MissMillie]

16. He's 18

and while I do have to give him credit for having a full-time job and keeping it, it's as though he thinks that this job is where he'll be forever.... and that's pretty scary.

[Duer 157099]

17. I used to think that military(ish) discipline would be good for him

but I'm scared to death to even allow him to go in that direction, these days.

When he was 6 or so, I had him in karate classes for a couple years, thinking the "discipline" would help -- but it was just another source of conflict, making him go to class etc...

Did your son decide to do the JROTC on his own, or? Has it helped?

[AccessGranted]

18. You Are Not Alone!

I know exactly what you've going through as I have three sons - age 13, 20 and 21. The older two take care of their own laundry, but the youngest one is a mess with his clothes. I still do his laundry. The problem is that the older two left home and I moved into a smaller place and they came back, so now all three of them are in one bedroom. The youngest is in going to high school next year, the middle one is in college and the oldest works for a freight handling company, so they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. What a mess as you can imagine. I don't even go in that room. I'm scared!!! I feel your pain. You are not alone!

[WCGreen]

19. Teach him how to do laundry.....

That's what my mom did when I was about 14.....