Thursday, April 29, 2010

What to do about this mess?

I have always heard that the most creative people
are sometimes very messy.
I want to be an understanding parent. I want to understand that there are more important things in life than having a neat room. I want to be the type of parent that fosters creativity and freedom and the right to a little space to call your own......messy or neat. However, at this time in my life, I just want to see this room clean and neat and decluttered.
What I am I to do?
I mean, I can say, "Clean up your room! You can't leave this house until everything is in its place!"
That works for the moment.
Or I could clean it up myself.
That works for the moment too.
Or I can just leave it alone and .......close the door.
Which is also messy and cluttered ...... and creative!
Wondering,

11 comments:

  1. What a cute room! I feel your pain, as I have four daughters. I feel the same as you do, but I usually end up cleaning their rooms myself just to get it done. Isn't that awful? ;) Sometimes when I clean up after them they will follow through and keep their rooms clean for awhile, and then it goes back to looking like a tornado blew in...LOL!

    ((Hugs)) ~Liz

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  2. very cute room Jen! I choose to leave it most days and then usually on the weekends my daughter and I will clean it together...mind you she's almost 12! My sons are the neat ones!

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  3. My son's pretty tidy but he is a collector of little trinkets that drive me crazy! We often throw in his taylor swift cd and clean his room together. I actually don't think your daughters room looks that bad! BTW, did you get the sign above the bed on eBay? It looks exactly like a sign I made!

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  4. Oh. Wouldn't that be so cool if you had made that sign. I think I got it at Hobby Lobby or Kirklands. I can't remember. I got it to use for our family Christmas photo one year...then I ended up using it over Emily's bed.

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  5. Pam, My sons are the neat ones too.... Well, one son that is.
    Liz, Tornado is the word my husband uses a lot...right before he shuts her door. LOL.

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  6. I am that daughter to my very clean mother. She set rules, though, like no posters, no tape on walls and doors, etc. I was fine with that, but I needed my piles.

    Sadly, I still do. But ironically my own daughter's piles drive me MAD!

    Hope you like the CD and the crazy combo of candy ;)

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  7. My oldest is 10 and it is a constant battle because I know she is a neat person, but just doesn't do it.

    I have tried telling her everything on the floor gets thrown away (goodwill), but then it just gets shoved into drawers so we now have a deal:

    If she keeps her room clean until the end of the school year and I never once have to tell her to pick up anything, I will buy her 1 thing.

    So far so good. It has lasted 1 day!

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  8. Maybe if I email a photo of my daughter's room you would feel much better.

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  9. I think you are a good mom to let her be creative! I am so OCD about even my kids room that I stifle them creatively. They want posters & to organize for themselves...I always have to give my 2 cents...
    Her room is adorable...clutter and all.

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  10. please let me know if you figure this one out!!! my oldest (12) told me her room was clean. when I went in there today i was shocked to find that is was no where near clean!! ugh! after half an hour I gave up! i told her tonite she needed to finish it & by golly she did (after a busy night & studying for 2 tests!!) hang in there! {btw, i bet it is clean compared to most rooms}

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  11. Hi Jen, so glad we found each other's blogs. I love yours. This post could be about my daughter. She is only 7 but her room is a pit. We have to detox it about once a month. AND she is the most artistic/creative person I know, must be a prerequisite. I cannot wait to read more of you stuff. I read your profile, seems like we would get along just fine! I like Diet Dr. Pepper :) instead of Diet Pepsi. Have a super day.

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