Summer Reminders

[Island_Oak]

I am enjoying a wonderful summer with my kids. We have taken up tennis, gone hiking in the mountains, traveled and welcomed guests together. Mostly it is the unstructured, unhurried time together I’m loving. BUT…I feel like I am incessantly reminding them to do little things over and over again. There is always a pile of shoes I’m tripping over by the door. Wet beach towels never seem to make it off the floor and into the basket. Etc., If Jesus said you must forgive 70 times 7 times, how many time do we have to remind our kids to brush their teeth!!! Any helpful, positive strategies to end the nagging?

 

[Princess_Abby]

Tell them only once, and start confiscating the “clutter” of their belongings.

If you trip over shoes, the pair belongs to you the next day. (And they either have to wear an older pair or go without, which means activity will be restricted.)

If you have to pick up a beach towel, swimming is gone the next day.

 

[StratusRose]

First of all, don’t worry about these habits carrying over into adulthood because once they are on their own they will be responsible for themselves. I am living proof.

A few things my mom did…
-She wouldn’t say “Pick up your shoes.” She’d say “Whose shoes are these?” Then one of us would say “They’re mine” Then she’d say “Would you please come pick them up?”
-if we intentionally did not pick up our things after many warnings of consequences, she’d get a trash bag and throw our things away.
-if we didn’t clean our rooms or other areas of the house she’s make us sit and watch her clean all day long.
-once she told us to stop arguing or we wouldn’t go to the pool, well, we didn’t listen. She went upstairs called the babysitter, came back down, babysitter showed up. We were like, why is the babysitter here? She said, I am going to the pool, see you later! Then we she got back, my brother and I had to pay for the sitter! We counted up nickels, dimes, and pennies.