This Is What Happens When You Give Kids Options

My mom loves to tell this story about when I was five or so. She told me to clean my room. I didn’t. After a few times of me ignoring her, she said:

Mom: “If you don’t clean your room, I’ll clean it. And if I clean it, I’m throwing away anything that isn’t put away properly.”

Well, that got my attention. I went to my room for a while and then came back and announced:

Me: “Okay, Mommy, you can clean now. I’ve put away anything I care about!”

To be honest, I don’t remember doing it, but I’m pretty proud of tiny me. Mom thinks it’s pretty hilarious that she got outsmarted by a child.

This was not a plan by my mother to declutter my room. She really did think that threat would get me to pick up my stuff. Besides, my mom is more of a packrat than I am.