“Dear sweet offspring,
Let me be clear about one thing. I see that you are trying, I really do. But oh, my word I feel like making you all eye appointments after looking at the results of your last attempt at cleaning your rooms.
I really shouldn’t have to remind you that I am going to check the corners, I figure you know I have eyes to see and that you understand items do not just turn invisible simply because you push them in the corner.
So, guess what? I CAN STILL SEE ALL THE STUFF.
The middle of the floor is clean, true, but the pile of stuffed animals and papers and pencils and glitter and general garbage in every corner means that your room is not actually clean. We’ve been through this.
Also, your closet doors should be able to shut, if there is too much stuff on the floor in front to allow the doors to do their jobs of containment, your room is not clean.
If I you can close the doors, but I open them and my life is in danger from an avalanche of toys and stinky socks, your room is not clean.
If your dresser drawers gape open and it looks like your wardrobe is trying to make a hasty getaway, your room is not clean.
If I walk into the bathroom and all the cabinet doors are open and I have to wade through wet towels to replace a clearly empty toilet paper roll with the half used one on the floor, the bathroom is not clean.
If I walk into the kitchen and the dishes are done but there are crumbs everywhere and a tower of recycling by the sink and a dirty pot on the stove that I don’t want to wash either, the kitchen is not clean.
If there are 7 socks on the floor covering a pile of stray Lego pieces and all your spaceships are stacked up next to the couch, the playroom is not clean.
You are loved.
You are cherished.
And you are not fooling anyone.
No one appreciates your half-assery my dear ones.
Get it done right the first time and I will look less like a crazy person with smoke coming out of my ears and you will not have to listen to this lecture every, single time it’s time to clean something.
Doesn’t that sound good? You can do this. I have faith in you.
Love,
Your Mom
(Who is starting to wonder if maybe you’re just messing with me, because really??)”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Hiding in the Closet with Coffee by Amy Betters-Midtvedt. The article originally appeared here. Submit your story here, and be sure to subscribe to our best love stories here.
Read more from Amy here:
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