Kids...The Ultimate "Catch 22"

Here's a picture of Massey dumping out her pocket book onto her bedroom floor. I'm going to have to speak to her about all the birds...I'm not a fan of birds in the house but everything else seems to be hers.

So she is a slob...she is also one of the sweetest girls on the planet. She does well in school without me having to stay on her about assignments or grades...I know she does her school work because I find a trail of papers wherever she goes.

She has a ton of friends and has no problem with taking them up to her hovel of a room and amazingly enough it doesn't seem to bother them either.

She eats healthy...I can tell by the apple cores and banana peels I throw away on a daily basis. She keeps herself hydrated...I bet there are at LEAST ten empty water bottles under her bed at any given time.

On the other hand...

Zach's room is nice and neat. It's easy to spot him in HIS room, whereas I have to stop at Massey's door and focus to actually pick her out amidst all the debris.

Then again I have had to ride Zach like a Bronco Bull just to get him to his senior year in high school.

KIDS...What are ya gonna do?

Do you let the room get to you or let the grades get to you? Do you worry because they live like a hoarder or worry because they live like a hermit? Do you push them more when their grades are suffering or push them more when their room is a catastrophe? I guess that should be a no brain er but I don't know Zach's grades are slipping til I check them online. I see Massey's room every time I walk up the stairs to my bedroom.

I think I'll give her a Haz/Mat suit for Christmas this year just so she'll be safe while she sleeps or is on her laptop in her room.

I have asked her if it bothers her at all that her room is a dump and the reply is always the same "Not really."

Zach had my car while I was at work tonight and picked Massey up at a friend's house before they came to pick me up from work. I had told Massey on the way to work that she WAS cleaning her room when she got home and as usual she cheerfully replied "Yes Ma'am."

I guess she makes the old saying "Happy as a pig in slop" words to live by.

I went upstairs a few minutes ago and Massey was fast asleep but believe it or not I could actually see her carpet. Of course that just means her closet is now full to capacity. At least I don't see in her closet as I walk by her room...the door opens towards her bed and not towards the door of the bedroom. Guess I got lucky with the design of THAT room!

I'm going to clean the living room now...maybe when she comes downstairs in the morning the smell of "Clean" will inspire her to want HER room to smell the same way.

Not counting on it...But you never know with teens, sometimes they will amaze you.