Dear Children,
I am very disappointed in the way things are going around
here and I am asking for your help in fixing some issues.
Your shoes, backpacks and lunch boxes are continuously left
out on the floor in front of the entrance to our house. This makes our house look messy and it is
unacceptable. I will not live this way
any longer. It is sloppy and dangerous
and you need to figure out how to correct this.
Your homework is not being done in a timely manner. Kees, your homework has not been completed
for weeks past. Coulter, I have to
constantly remind you to do your homework and then while you are doing it I
have to harp on you. Sophia, your
homework is much bigger and requires more attention. You are smart enough to do it yet you choose
to wait until almost the day it is due to get it done. This makes me very anxious.
I have news for you all; I have already done 1st,
3rd and 6th grades, as has your father. We don’t need to do them again. We are willing to help you do your homework
if you have genuinely given it your best effort. To date I have not seen any of you do
that.
Your rooms are a disaster….almost always. This too is unacceptable. I understand how they get that way but you
need to make a short amount of time to clean your rooms when you take LOTS of
time messing them up.
General areas of the house….
This house is daddy’s and mine.
We worked very hard for many years to pay for the house, the things in
it and for all the times we have together.
Your stuff is all over this house and this will stop…TODAY! If you do not pick up your stuff I will take
it and keep it. The kid’s bathroom, the hallways,
the living room, the kitchen, the dinning room, the fort, the storage closets, the basement, the TV room and
the office are all common rooms. This
mean that they are for everyone to use equally. Do you EVER see my clothes near the front
door? My lunch box or my things strewn
all over the house? NO, because I care
about my home and my stuff. Your things
are NEVER to be left in our room or bathroom.
I will keep them if you do that any longer.
We like to share with you because we love you. You have not earned these things we
have. To get things and a house you need
to work hard. Your previous endeavors
have not shown that you are up to the task.
You 3 are going to meet and decide what is going to be done
about these issues. You will decide what
the penalty is for failure to follow the rules and you will willingly comply
with your rules.
If you don’t come up with a plan you will fall under my jurisdiction
and that means follow my rules as I set them out. A few things come to mind as penalties… No sleep overs, no play dates, no computer
time or games, no Wii, no AWOL, no candy, no dessert, no slot cars, no
Legos…. I can go on all day.
As a friend of mine once was told….. “Your good time ends when my bad time
begins.” My bad time has begun…….
I will assist you in figuring out details of a plan but you
will come up with an initial plan. If
the penalties for not cooperating are not harsh enough I will triple them or
greater. That means if you say, “If my
room is a mess I only loose an hour of Wii.”
I can come back and say, “No, you loose it for a week.” I advise coming up with reasonable penalties
the first time.
I am very serious about this. I do not want to yell, be disappointed or be
penalized for your poor behavior and homework habits any longer. You will be taking personal accountability
for your work and stuff.
I look forward to working with you and to a cleaner, more
organized and peaceful home.
Love,
Mom
