My New Happy: Picking My Battles

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Picking My Battles


Yes, this is a picture of a small piece of a goldfish cracker.  You're probably wondering what this uninspiring image is doing here.  Listen, everything can't be lovely stories and pretty fashion.  This is a blog with teens in the title -  you have to be prepared for the ugly sometimes.  

I first noticed the crumb on a Monday morning as I was blearily making my way downstairs to my office to start the day.  I stooped down to inspect it, and realized it probably landed there during my younger son's "bro" night over the weekend.

For some reason (remember, I was bleary), I decided to leave it and see how long it took before someone else in the house picked it up.  

As a point of reference, this crumb was residing in an extremely high traffic area of our home. This particular spot gets walked by at least 100 times a day.  And the crumb wasn't that small.

But walk by it they did.  For five days.  In all that time, nobody bent over to pick up the crumb.

Five days.

On the sixth day I gave up (plus, I really needed to vacuum).  I gathered the three men in my life for a meeting around the crumb and asked why no one had bothered to pick it up. All of them said they hadn't noticed it.  Sigh.

How is it possible that three intelligent, relatively aware people can completely ignore a piece of food lying on the floor for five days?

Because I am the lone woman in a house of slobs.  I looked up the definition of slob, and actually it doesn't apply.  My boys are neither dirty nor lazy.  They are fastidious with their personal hygiene, and their rooms are fairly presentable most days.  My hubby is downright OCD when it comes to organization and cleanliness. But I'm going to call them slobs anyway because it makes me feel better.

It's the little things in life that drive us crazy sometimes.  Like every single drawer left open in my younger son's room after he gets dressed for the day.  Does he really need an item of clothing from each drawer?



And honestly, how hard is it to close the drawers after you're done?

Or my older son asking, in all seriousness, why there needs to be a lid on the hamper. He asks because this is where his clothes end up every night, and I hassle him about it every night


Seriously, the hamper is right there.  You can't lift the lid and put the clothes inside? Actually, I might give him this one - is the lid really necessary?  Taking it off would solve at least one problem.

In my 19 years of parenting, I have learned that you have to pick your battles.  Apparently I have lost the crumb lying, drawer closing, hamper hitting battle.  In the grand scheme of things, it could be much messier around here.

Next time I'll just pick up the crumb myself. :)

32 comments:

  1. I hear you. My kids' rooms are disasters. I keep waiting for a mouse to find it's way in, because then maybe they'll clean it up! No one would pick up the crumb here either.

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    1. A mouse would definitely do the trick to scare everybody into cleaning up here too!

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  2. "I gathered the three men in my life for a meeting around the crumb" < Hilarious! I have a 13yo male child and the things he walks by leaves hanging around amaze me.

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  3. I know exactly what you're saying. It happens in my house all the time and drives me nuts. I've learned to just ask them to pick it up.


    Agi:)

    vodkainfusedlemonade.com

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    1. Yeah, me too. Wish they would actually listen though :)

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  4. Wow, LOL! Love this "experiment". My husband is a neat freak though so it would've been gone in an instant. There are some good things about that trait. :)

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    1. I was surprised my husband never saw it. Old age and needing glasses to see small things? :)

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  5. I'm laughing sooo hard!
    My girl (13) is a slob too... And I hate it...
    The drawers is a problem, and the kitchen cabinet doors! How hard can it be?

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    1. Ooh, I forgot about the kitchen cabinets. Or anything that opens and closes for that matter.

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  6. It took breaking my ankle to get a little help at my house...LOL! I wouldn't advise it, even though it does get results. Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting. Nice to find your blog! Debbie @ http://www.ilovemylemonadelife.com

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    1. Thanks Debbie. Glad you stopped by. Sorry to hear about your ankle!

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  7. Wait - was that crumb and those open drawers in your house - or mine?? This is such a perfect description of what goes on here. On second thought - looking at the photos I realize it is your house, because posting a photo of my son's room is NOT an option! :)
    I doubt there is a mother of teenagers out there who can't relate to this!

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    1. I was a little worried about taking a picture in there!

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  8. That dresser picture looks very familiar. What is it about closing drawers? Also, the crumb would still be there at my house, too. It would be squished and squashed beyond recognition though, and they'd walk around oblivious to the little crumbs on their feet! :)

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    1. So funny. I cannot figure out why my boys can't close drawers.

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  9. I'm also the mom of two boys and have a husband who is blind to dirt/crumbs/mess. I truly believe if they lived in a bachelor pad they would never use the vacuum and would just live off of paper plates! I've definitely learned to pick my battles!

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    1. If something ever happens to me, I'm worried what would happen around here! Thanks for stopping by.

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  10. hahahahah I loved this entry. So so so so so true and I only live with one man! Why on earth can you not get stuff in the basket? For real! It doesn't even make sense.
    Another thing, there are baseball caps left all over my freaking house. Put them in the closet for goodness sakes!

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    1. Don't even get me started on sporting equipment. I give up!

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  11. Oh my goodness, YES!! My children and husband so do not see the mess and dirt and look at me like I am a crazy person when I bring things up that need to be cleaned. Why do drawers need to be closed or shoes put away anyways? Thanks for sharing this post.

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    1. It's a mystery! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one going crazy.

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  12. Apparently, this happens in all homes containing male occupants! So glad to know it's 'normal' (and never ends...well into adulthood). Ha-ha!

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    1. I love em, but males are so oblivious to their surroundings! I guess it is normal for them.

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  13. Fun post! Here's hoping that you win every battle you pick.

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  14. Yes, I am also a mom of teens (and one who has survived into young adulthood). I have also learned to pick my battles. It erks me to no end to see clothes lying beside the laundry basket (that does not have a lid) or clothes on the floor in their room. The good news, they typically do begin to outgrow their slothfulness. :)

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    1. Thanks Tonya! My older son has definitely improved the last few years. Thanks so much for stopping by.

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  15. My son is 12 (almost 13) and his room looks the same way. Every morning I go into his room, and every morning his clothes are on the ground- right next to the hamper!

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    1. Why can't they hit the hamper? It's a mystery of teen life that cannot be explained :)

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