The Week Mom Went on Strike and Other Effective Parenting Tips

Oh yes..I remember this..I was so tired of asking, begging, pleading with the heathens to clean up.  As soon as I got finished cleaning the kitchen, I had to clean the family room and by the time I was finished cleaning the family room the kitchen was a mess again.  I had had it.  When I asked them to clean up, suddenly everyone had to go to the bathroom. So,I said ok, fine. I really don't care either. I am on strike. I never really liked all this cleaning anyway.  And the cooking, hey, kids could live forever on corn pops.  Help yourself...I understand your points now!  Why make your bed when your just going to get back in it in 14 hours?...I was wasting all that time all these years!  What a fool..and just think of the time I spent cooking..unbelievable!  Trying to get all those different color foods  for dinner every night, hours shopping for fresh produce...why? for what?  You can eat fruit loops that have those same colors!  And cereal is fortified!  All that time I spent coaxing kids to try eggplant!  They were all looking at each other, half nodding, half not really too sure.  And the strike began.  I didn't cook or clean.  Day 1 was easy, and everyone was kind of happy for the break in the regimen, even me.  They did eat cereal.  I think someone made a peanut butter sandwich and ate the rest of the ice cream, maybe a soft pretzel, a lot of apples.  Day 2 was kind of the same.  I spent a lot longer at the gym and started reading a magazine!  Someone wiped off the table and took the garbage out,  because it was overflowing with paper products.   Day 3 the kids were hungry..still not saying too much though..started pulling the comforter back over the bed and actually pushed in their drawers.   Day 4, starting to get a little restless.  It defeated the whole point though when they went to friends houses and the moms gave them dinner.  Day 5 definitely starting to weaken, this was getting old..but not for me! The shoes were beginning to get out of a heap and into a semi-organized pile. Day 6 they called a truce...what do you want from us?  Anything...just ask.  Worked well for about 2 years..then same old ,same old...toys everywhere.  I had another idea.   Anything on the floor I was throwing away.  Gone went that whole power ranger SET (like $75 worth!) The star wars battle ship?  Trashed.  Math homework?  I don't know, maybe check the trash in the garage.  My football cleats?  Oh, I think I threw them out too, they were laying on the floor. This was serious now..tears and fits.  But this worked!  Still to this day, it works!   Because it is so effective I only now have to REMIND them to straighten their room... People come in my house and say "how do keep the clutter away?"   and I tell them, "oh, I just throw it out."