Words of Wisdom

Youth is wasted on the young.

Wednesday 6 March 2013

ENOUGH!

Despite the Flaming Sword, I have completely failed to teach my child the basics of a civilised life.

She does not squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom of the tube.

She does not put her folded clothes into those handy receptacles we call drawers.

She does not clear her hair from the shower drain as a matter of courtesy and she never throws anything out.....

even when it is finished.

Today I counted three used bottles of blemish remover in her makeup bag. In her shower cubicle there are no less than 6 empty containers ranging from shampoo to exfoliant to fake tan. Her 'desk' in her room contains so many old school exercise books and opened and discarded official forms, letters and brochures that if she had indeed intended to go to university this year, she would have had to study from the floor.

I am of the belief that these kinds of habits are inculcated at a young age and become automatic, setting one up well for adulthood and flat sharing with friends (without the danger of never speaking to each other again afterwards). Firm instruction (aka nagging) and a good role model would, I believed, result in the lifelong adoption of these basic and essential elements for living alongside others.

I am tempted to revert to Joan Crawford methods. Where are those wire coat hangars?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you figure out the trick to reteaching...please let me know. This is my hubby to a T! Drives me up the wall.

Gayle said...

My kids are all the same and I know it is not what I taught them. I have 5 that leave a trail of dirty dishes, dirty clothes and trash wherever they walk (no one but me apparently knows where the garbage can is). They drive me nuts.

Arizaphale said...

Silver: MINE TOO!!!! But at least that isn't MY failure as a mother. HIS mother has to wear that one!
:-D
Gayle: I cannot imagine having 5 to deal with. I bow before you.....

Jill said...

Yeah but I don't think the toothpaste tubes have to be rolled from the bottom anymore. It drives me crazy but NO ONE does it. The thing is, the tubes are made of something way more flexible now so they don't burst and squirt out and waste toothpaste the way they used to if you squeeze them the wrong way.

My kids don't do any of that stuff either. Part of me thinks I should have followed them around their entire first thirteen years doing nothing but nagging and watching to make sure they followed through.

Arizaphale said...

Jill: On the toothpaste tube thing...it's still uncivilised to have a contorted tube of toothpaste, all congealed and dried around the lid, left out on the bathroom benchtop!!

SusieJ said...

I too have become suddenly aware of my failures to teach the boys some of these basics... so many, staring at me right in the face. In so many ways... I have failed in the most basic of things.