Last Saturday, I scrubbed all the bathrooms in our house. Less than 24 hours later, I walked into your bathroom and found toothpaste splattered on the mirror, in the sink, and even on the window. I genuinely can’t fathom how that toothpaste made it to the window, nor can I understand why you’d just leave it there. To top it off, there were retainers on the sink next to some used Q-tips, and the garbage bin I had just emptied was already overflowing.
And that’s just one room.
As I ventured downstairs, I stumbled over an assortment of glasses scattered everywhere, along with shoes, laptops, and backpacks that had somehow appeared in mere minutes. My kids often question why I raise my voice about cleaning up. It’s a daily occurrence, and yet it drives me crazy. Yes, they need to learn responsibility and how to take care of themselves to become capable adults, but it’s also about being part of a household, even if our home is our only community.
Here’s what I remind myself—and you—about why it’s essential to clean up after yourselves:
- I cover our living expenses. Paying the mortgage every month isn’t much fun when our home feels like a disaster zone. Take pride in your belongings, take pride in your space, and for heaven’s sake, if something doesn’t land in the trash can, take a couple of seconds out of your busy life to throw it away.
- It can be hazardous. I almost had a mishap (not literally, but you get the idea) while bringing in groceries because there were two pairs of size 12 sneakers in my path that I didn’t see. I’ve slipped on spilled yogurt and nearly hurt my back scrubbing slime off the ceiling. The list goes on.
- I’m outnumbered. There are more of you than me. If everyone pitches in and cleans up after themselves, life becomes much simpler. It’s tough enough keeping track of my own stuff because—surprise—I’m a human too who doesn’t always feel like tackling chores.
- If you leave a mess behind while at school or with friends, it falls back on me. The alternative is to leave it and risk injuring myself or letting my anxiety spiral out of control.
- It won’t hurt you. Nothing bad will happen if you take a moment to hang up your towel, pick up your clothes, or load your dishes into the dishwasher. However, if you don’t, and you leave it for me, something will happen to me, which means consequences for you. Like, perhaps, the WiFi password will mysteriously change, or you’ll lose track of your phone. Just saying.
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In summary, cleaning up after yourself is a small but essential part of being a responsible member of our household. It promotes safety, eases the burden on everyone, and teaches valuable life skills.