Empty poptart boxes and other little things that drive me insane!
Someone please explain to me that when someone eats the last package of poptarts, it’s absolutely impossible for them to throw the box into the garbage which is sitting a mere three feet away. Not only is the box not thrown in the garbage, the empty wrapper is put back into the poptart box and the box is put back in the cabinet. Why???
Why is it that the answer “no” is never enough? My BD9 will ask me if she can have a snack. It’s about, let’s say – two minutes until dinnertime. I say “no.” She says “please.” I say “no.” She says “why not.” I give her THE LOOK, and she still goes on about it. “But BS14 ate some blahblah a little while ago. It’s not fair!!!!!!” This happens every single day!! From now on, THE LOOK is going to be followed with a SMACK TO THE BUM if one more word is said. Or would being sent to bed without dinner be more appropriate?
The floor creaks – you think DH and I can’t hear it?? The boys’ bedroom door is about 3 feet from our bedroom door. We have hardwood floors and a basement. Every step you take in that house can be heard. It never fails – about 30 minutes after “lights out, no more talking” is called, someone is sneaking out of the bedroom. Sometimes it just to go to the bathroom, other times it’s to sneak a snack, and occasionally, it’s the boys trying to sneak downstairs to play x-box or computer games. If we happen to actually be asleep when the boys are tiptoeing, it’s not like we can’t hear the game system later – it will usually wake us up. The room where the games are is right under our bedroom and for the life of them, the boys cannot keep quiet – they have to make their game sounds.
On that same note boys, - do not pee in the garbage can just because you are either too lazy to leave your computer game or because you’re downstairs when you should be in bed. And if you do pee in the garbage can, don’t let it sit there and ferment, drawing gnats, and stinking up the entire house.
Unauthorized snacking is not allowed. We have four kids, preteen to teen, and they eat like they are starving. Since I cook for six, I tend to make big meals – the get PLENTY to eat. They also get a snack before bed – cookies and milk or maybe a small piece of pie if we have it. So tell me why I wake up the next morning and there is usually an open chip bag or missing cookies? I mean, if you’re trying to be sneaky, hide the evidence!! It really doesn’t bother me as much as it does DH that they are snacking – but to his credit, once the snacks are gone, they are gone for the week. We don’t buy extra – we buy enough for school lunches and after dinner cookies. So, if one person ruins it for the rest, I tend to let sibling justice take care of itself.
Do not use my bathroom!!!! We have one main bathroom off the hallway. DH and I have a half bath in our bedroom. The main bathroom is for the kids to use. But usually once or twice a week, I will find a big floating present waiting for me in my bathroom. I know it wasn’t DH – he uses toilet paper AND he flushes!! So which one of you little snots was it? Wouldn’t you know, that every single one of them denies it. So we question again and again – then suddenly one of them will say, “Oh I forgot. I did it.” So, now you’re suddenly remembering that butt ripping turd you left in my toilet?? I swear, I don’t know how they pass these things – the last one was as big as a fist!! The “Oh, I forgot” is used on just about everything. Any interrogation we have to do, it is denied, denied again, and again, and then AH-HA – memories come flooding back.
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OMFG
You mean the poptart box thing isn't just at my house? The poptart box, the granola bars, fruit snacks - any of them. And once it wasn't just the empty wrapper but half a poptart in the remains of the wrapper in the empty box.
Seriously, this is hard to figure out why?
Nope Vic...
They do these things because they don't care about what we care about, especially if it's something we care about actually.
We recycle. Not everything in the world, but such things as milk cartons and poptart boxes. The recycling process is-
rinse it if it's plastic
flatten it if it's cardboard
and walk precisely 5 steps away from the kitchen to the attached garage, and place it in the recycling container.
I find the empties in the sink, in the pantry, back in the REFRIGERATOR, in all bedrooms and bathrooms.
And in the TRASH can b/c that's EASIER.
If they do make it out of those places, they are not rinsed (with cap on the milk smells WONDERFUL when I have to rinse it before taking to the recycling station) not flattened, and tossed on the MUD ROOM floor, a few feet from the door to the garage.
I have a list a mile long of all these kind of things that kids (and occasionally DH) leave for me. If I complain or remind I'm a nag. If I try to show how to do it THEY KNOW and I don't have to TALK TO THEM LIKE THEY ARE FIVE!!!!!!!
Or admittedly, they don't care about stuff like that so I shouldn't.
When did this culture of if it's boring I have no responsibility to do it happen?
Was I sleeping? Or more likely...
Was I too busy walking around fixing, cleaning, straightening all the crap of everyone else to notice????
I'm pretty sure my mom and dad didn't tell their parents
I don't care if my room is clean so why should you
I don't care if we trash the world with garbage so why should you
I don't care if the food spoils in my room and stinks I'm eating it if I feel like it...
and why should YOU care!
And...if I hear one more time how BM doesn't care about xyz...
I will lose all semblance of PC SM and say...
WELL....OBVIOUSLY there are a LOT of things she DOESN'T care about!!!!!!!
Like visitation!
Oh, and let's not forget
the four drops of milk left in the milk carton - not enough for coffee (ARRRRRRRGH!!!!) but left in the fridge so no one knows we need milk! GROWL.
Oh yeah, that one is one of the worst!
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Love me or hate me, I'm still gonna shine!!!
or the dried toothpaste in
or the dried toothpaste in and around the sink. Makes me wonder how much of it is actually being used on their teeth? Oh yeah, and the bar of soap mutilated into smaller pieces and all over the bath tub.
ALWAYS (and you know how I HATE absolutes) is SD
I shared this with a SM from the BPD support group the other day. She had written some encouragement to me, about the stupid food issues and resulting questions and arguments.
She talked about how she bought a tub of chicken salad, and the next day she went to make a sandwich and it was ALL gone.
I told her about how if it were my SD (wouldn't be because she HATES mayo) but if it was my SD, she would have left one tiny spoon of chicken salad in the bowl, left it in the frige, and then rage at me that she didn't eat it ALL.
Oy vey.
Oh man..
that milk thing drives me nutsy!!!
Oh, and peeing in a garbage can is really disgusting!!
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on." ~Robert Frost
“Sometimes it's the
“Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.”
I don't think you should allow these minor things to upset you this much. I know that when it happens over and over again it can get a little frustrating, but you have to instruct the kids as firmly as you can without them seeing you getting flustered about it. You firmly tell them that the next time they leave the empty poptart box out they won't be getting any snacks for a week, send them to their rooms if they whine and complain and shut the door. You just have to be consistent, and not give in or cave due to frustration.
Normal child behavior
Yep, both my BS and s-kids do this. irritating yes but lord it could be worse. I'll take an empty pop-tart carton in the pantry any day over finding drugs or something worse. I have a friend currently dealing with drug abuse.
Believe me, I know.
My blog here was just to vent a little on very minor things. These things are not a big deal, even to me, though it sounds like it. I do have to admit that the pee in the garbage can did make me see red. But everything else, it's nothin'. Just trying to throw in something NOT related to the iVillage/Steptalk war.
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Love me or hate me, I'm still gonna shine!!!
Agreed
I posted my agreement to the vent about the empty boxes but I have to say I think both BD and SD are guilty. Heck, it wouldn't surprise me to find out OH was the perp at least some of the time.
It could be worse. But it's still a good vent.
They pee in the garbage can???
OMG, that is so gross and totally uncalled for. I mean, come on!! How lazy can one be??
Love :O
LOL!! Just one time!
Yes, it was completely disgusting, but it only happened one time. DH and I chewed the boys out like you wouldn't believe. I almost laughed while yelling though. They looked so pitiful - sitting there with heads down looking up. But they knew they were in trouble and they were. They were grounded for 2 weeks from any and all electronic joy - AND they had to clean it out - with their bare hands. No gloves allowed. And since it was both of their pee in the garbage can, they had the gross out factor of dealing with the other boy's grossness. HAHAHAHAH!!! Needless to say, it hasn't happened again. I do need to note that this happened almost 2 years ago. It was just too good not to add to my list.
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Love me or hate me, I'm still gonna shine!!!
we tell them to pee outside
It never fails that SS9 will have to go to the bathroom when his bro or sis are in there. It is a game most times. I tell him if you have to go that bad, go outside (I live in the country and no neighbors can see). He can ususally wait.
Whoa!
On going things like this deserves severe tactics.
Peeing in the trash can?
Dang! I WOULD CHECK THE LIQUER CABNET! If they did that sober?
I would pour the trash can over them and tell them get out side and clean out all trash cans in the house with soap and water.
If I knew which kid did the pop tart box ordeal I would
make sure, that is what is in there lunch the next day.
And that is it. nothing else.
The little girl who keeps asking for a snack right before diner?
I would tell her one last time.
Don't ever ask me for a snack while I am cooking diner again.
The answer is always going to be NO.
For ever and ever! Understand?!
Next time you do it? I am handing you all the responsibility for finishing diner. Setting the table, Getting everyone's drink, getting napkins at all the place settings. While I go and relax.
Ha! that's me.
My kids get a fair parent when they are fair.
They cross the lines? I go extreme on them.
My husband
will leave any food item on the counter if he knows TOMORROW he'll be snacking on it again. UGH drives me nuts to constantly see the peanut butter and ritz crackers on the countertop...
Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others. ~Buddha
So it's not just in my house?
How about....Using the toilet paper, leaving the empty roll and then instead of refilling they go to MY bathroom and use mine also!
OR...Despite having bar soap in their bathroom, they go to MY bathroom and take my Oil of Olay Body Wash!!! And my shampoo!!!
They use my hair gel, my body lotions... THEY ARE BOYS!!!! They are very METRO-SEXUAL and LOVE to feel soft. LOL....
They use the iron and don't put it back. They do their laundry but never clean out the filter in the dryer. No matter how many times I've told them it's a fire hazard.
They take the garbage to the garage but don't put it in the cans so the garage stinks like death! And my favorite....They open a container of juice and place the lid on but don't screw it shut, so when I pull the container out and shake it to get the juices flowing the lid flies off and there is juice everywhere.
Sighs.......
Oh..And last night I smelled something funky in the family room? Turned out it was a pair of stinky socks sitting on the treadmill!!!! Gross...
Ha!
Thanks everyone for these stories... I'm feeing on the border of getting sick today and these stories have made me giggle with delight!!! Sooooo happy to know you all have empty pop tart boxes just like I do! But the shaking juice and it splashing out made me seriousy laugh out loud and my coworker turned to see what was wrong with me...
I have had the same thing happen to me!!! This seriously goes to show that all kids are alike in one way or another, no matter bio, step, or adopted! LOL!!!!
Hope you feel better Wicked....
My BS11 has the flu. I spent the day yesterday playing nurse and the doc said that he shouldn't return to school until Friday so he can get over it.
Yes, ALL kids are the same. It's great that we are able to swap stories, it certainly puts things in perspective.
Thanks NotsoHappy!
I can't decide if my office is just cold or if I'm getting a fever... And I'm achy all over but maybe it's the yucky rainy weather we've had for days on end here... I feel like going home, curling up in bed and watching chick flicks and drinking chicken soup. I'm really leaning toward the cold office/weather but the flu (H1N1 too) has really hit our community lately so who knows... :? I'm just a whiney butt today I guess... haha!!
Stop Buying Pop Tarts
I am in a hurry so I don't have time to read all the comments on this, obviously its a big issue for all of us. I would recommend that you stop buy pop tarts or whatever they tend to put back in the pantry empty - just leave the empty box in there - if anyone asks - you didn't buy them because you saw the box in the pantry.
As far as going into rooms (bathrooms) sneaking out of their rooms etc, you can get a cheap alarm system, you stick it on the wall next to the door and put a little loop over the doorknob (put it up high so no one will notice/reach) and when the door opens a very loud alarm goes off. I just LOVE this one! Its under $20 on Amazon!
I do this in reverse
I used to hate it when the skids did this. But then, I started doing it myself. It drives them crazy. I take a tiny bit of delight in this and so I continue to do it. Oooops! There really is no ice cream left! Hahahahaha!!!