Love notes....
John is the mess maker in our home. When he plays he is a bucket dumper. John also doesn't like to be banished to his room to play with toys...he wants to be where the action is. Once the contents of his bucket are dumped he aimlessly rolls and throws objects littering the floor from one end of the room to the other. I thought as he got older he would out grow this method of play. Not the case...as time has gone on I feel like the messes have gotten bigger and more extensive. Thus the floor of our home seems to be in one constant state of chaos.
I on the other hand am the picker upper in our home. I prefer to have things neat and tidy. As much as I enjoy cleaning, and I really do enjoy organizing and cleaning things, I would rather spend my time and energy cleaning and organizing the things of my choosing. My brain works better when there is order. My emotions are more in check when there is not clutter and chaos.
Thus we have a constant struggle at our house. However, recently we stumbled upon something that keeps the majority of John's messes contained to his bedroom...we moved Rachel's giant LEGO table in there for the boys to play on. As long as Jacob is in there with him John seems to be content to keep the messes of his rolling and throwing confined to his room and I have been relishing in a somewhat tidier home.
BUT I have noticed something over the last couple of weeks...
when I get home from taking the kids to school I find pens and pencils on the kitchen floor (that were not there when I left). I find shredded up pieces of napkins sprinkled across the kitchen floor. I find whole napkins scattered on the floor. WHAT?!
It drives me crazy! I spent time getting the floor cleaned so I could focus on other things after I take the kids to school only to come home to a floor needing attention! It only take me 2 seconds to bend down and pick up the pencils/pens or napkins. But it is the principle of the deliberate mess making that makes my blood boil!
When I noticed this again today, I left the pen there, irritated and went about my business when I had this thought...I need to learn to not let this bother me so much.
I don't know what is going on in his brain when he drops and leaves things from the counter on the floor. And try as I might it is usually an uphill battle to stop many of his irritating behaviors, and I feel this one is not different.
I often tell my children, if you can't change the situation you can change your attitude about the situation. So maybe, just maybe this is his way of saying remember me while I am gone to school today. Or maybe, just maybe this is John's way of leaving me a little love note.
I on the other hand am the picker upper in our home. I prefer to have things neat and tidy. As much as I enjoy cleaning, and I really do enjoy organizing and cleaning things, I would rather spend my time and energy cleaning and organizing the things of my choosing. My brain works better when there is order. My emotions are more in check when there is not clutter and chaos.
Thus we have a constant struggle at our house. However, recently we stumbled upon something that keeps the majority of John's messes contained to his bedroom...we moved Rachel's giant LEGO table in there for the boys to play on. As long as Jacob is in there with him John seems to be content to keep the messes of his rolling and throwing confined to his room and I have been relishing in a somewhat tidier home.
BUT I have noticed something over the last couple of weeks...
when I get home from taking the kids to school I find pens and pencils on the kitchen floor (that were not there when I left). I find shredded up pieces of napkins sprinkled across the kitchen floor. I find whole napkins scattered on the floor. WHAT?!
It drives me crazy! I spent time getting the floor cleaned so I could focus on other things after I take the kids to school only to come home to a floor needing attention! It only take me 2 seconds to bend down and pick up the pencils/pens or napkins. But it is the principle of the deliberate mess making that makes my blood boil!
When I noticed this again today, I left the pen there, irritated and went about my business when I had this thought...I need to learn to not let this bother me so much.
I don't know what is going on in his brain when he drops and leaves things from the counter on the floor. And try as I might it is usually an uphill battle to stop many of his irritating behaviors, and I feel this one is not different.
I often tell my children, if you can't change the situation you can change your attitude about the situation. So maybe, just maybe this is his way of saying remember me while I am gone to school today. Or maybe, just maybe this is John's way of leaving me a little love note.
Comments