cleaning

[frustratedearthmother]

Don't really like my ex all that much either - and I can't tell you the amount of times I kept my mouth shut when I wanted nothing but to scream insults at him and about him. But kids shouldn't be put in the middle it gives them absolutely NO good choice. Like it or not - most kids love both parents and don't want to say anything bad about either one of them. My son is 38 and daughter 33 and they both told me later in life that they didn't know how much I despise the man, lol. And in all actuality - the main reason I ever got ticked off at him was when I thought he wasn't doing right by his kids.

 

[sumi]

It's awful how they treat that boy It's good and necessary that kids help with the household chores, but there should be some limits in place. They are not slaves.

Saying that, seeing that sink like that after it getting "cleaned" would've tipped my lid too. It doesn't take that long to do it and with today's cleaning products, not that much effort either.

 

[FarmerJamie]

It's amazing to me some patents don't teach basic life management skills. Divorce and split households don't help.

My ex would always clean up after my son in the kitchen. Finally in his mid teens, she had him use the dish washer. At my place, I made him hand wash a set of cooking stuff three times until it was clean. He griped the whole time that I was too cheap to have a dishwasher.

My youngest daughter (17) doesn't know how to prepare anything other than macaroni and cheese. No baking, nothing. My now wife and I are going to remedy that this year.

The kicker? Outside the home(s), my son is an immaculate cleaner. Go figure

 

[baymule]

I don't know about your state, but here a kid can go before the judge at age 12 and tell which parent he/she wants to live with. Sounds like this kid would be better off with the not so evil, but still kinda mean stepmom.

 

[ChickenMomma91]

We tried that when he was about ten. He got too nervous and clammed up. Wouldn’t tell the judge or the lawyers anything. Especially if his mom and stepdad were in the room. Plus money is tight with the new baby coming so we can’t afford another fight in court just now. We’ve been playing the waiting game hoping the stepdad will get fed up and send him down here for good. The mom has a warped sense of attachment to the poor kid so she fights tooth and nail every time we bring it up about him coming here I stay. I think it’s cause he looks and acts like his dad and I’m pretty sure she still has feelings for him which makes me want to skewer her of course. I remember purposely leaving a love mark on his neck one time when he went to pick Joey up. He didn’t notice but she got all pissy and pointed it out. I was in the car and got to see a death glare while hubby shrugged it off. She hasn’t tried anything since in that department

 

[ChickenMomma91]

Joey sees it. That’s why he always complains about having to go back. The only time he voluntarily stays there is if a friend invites him over or they come to his house to play video games and such. I wish he would make friends here when it’s summer but he gets glued to a screen and I can’t get him to budge without flipping a breaker and hearing him scream. I like to stash the controllers for at least a day so he’ll read a book or socialize with us. I’ve even had to ban screens when visiting family because he will ignore everyone completely if he has his phone.

 

[baymule]

I would have preferred to keep things cordial between me and my ex, but he did such awful things that it was impossible.

 

[ChickenMomma91]

Side note. The brat is scrubbing the toilet tomorrow since he was so lazy about the rest. He just doesn’t know it yet.

 

[ChickenMomma91]

That's kids for you. Especially male kids...men typically don't see dirt like we see it. My dad was different in that and was more of a stickler for clean than any woman, but most men just don't see dirt.

I once clocked my youngest at doing two sinks full of dishes at 13 hrs to complete the task...and then he had to redo some of them because he didn't get them clean.

13 hours?! Makes me glad I didn’t ask him to help with dinner dishes geez. I don’t normally ask him to help clean unless I have a huge mountain of laundry and part of it is his. I don’t make him clean up after me like his mother and stepfather. He literally cleans their entire house and takes care of his stepdad’s cat and dog. I understand teaching him responsibility but that sounds like a slave to me. I’ve even heard them say he’s went to bed without supper because he had to finish ‘his’ chores before he could eat. He was too tired to eat and crashed once they deemed his tasks done. He was 8 at the time. As long as his room is picked up and he helps me when I need it I’m fine but knowing he just wanted to get it done and go back to his videos makes me want to set it on fire. I don’t want him to be a sheeple glued to a phone like the rest of the kids in our area. I can hardly get him to go outside as it is. I may have to stash the phone this summer so I actually get help with his sibling which is due in July.

 

[ChickenMomma91]

It doesn’t help that we never know when we’re gonna have him and when we do it’s only for 48 hours. He makes his bed and folds and puts up his own laundry. The only time he forgets to pick up his room is if his mother picks him up early without calling first