Has anyone ever gone on a housework strike and had it change anything?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I did was to serve DD her dinner in the same dishes she left after breakfast. She was all ‘Hey! This is dirty and disgusting!!’, and I said yup, it sure is. The expectation thereafter was that she will be served her next meal in whatever she left, and that got fixed quickly. Having a foster puppy that would chew EVERYTHING up has helped get things off the floor, although not necessarily put away in their place.

Too funny, I love it.

[Anonymous]

OMG,so cathartic to read all this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have just about had it with my family's slovenly ways. No one but me seems to care whether the floor or tables are covered in clutter. If someone opens a package, all the packaging is left on the table instead of disposed of. Plates are left when people are finished eating. DH is a slob and the kids have followed his lead.

I have tried many things. I make them come and clean up their messes. I have instituted daily family clean up time. They do clean up then, but reluctantly.

Contrary to what they think, I do not enjoy nagging or reminding people over and over again of their responsibilities. I have just about had it. Even better, they seem to think they do all the work around here, mom doesn't do anything, and that they don't know why I am on them on cleaning, it would be fine without so much putting away.

Fine. No more nagging, and I'm done cleaning up after people (which I do sometimes because it's just easier than getting that person to come back and clean up. Live in clutter and filth if you want to. I'm ok with it. Natural consequences.

Anyone done this and had it work?

How old are your kids? I think you need to step back a bit - your DH is a slob. Due to this, this will be harder than it would be if your DH was neat. If you don't want your kids to be slobs, you will need to teach them not to be. And you know what? That includes reminding them daily to pick their stuff up. Change your mindset - you are not nagging or reminding, you are teaching. Institute whatever you need to. Checklists, rewards, consequences (yes to mom serving the next meal on the meals dirt dishes), but teach your kids to not be slobs.

[Anonymous]

My DH was issue. I stopped cleaning his clothes, sat expectantly on his nights to do dinner (quickly gave kids cereal/baby already in bed.) What finally got his attention was tying garbage bag to his briefcase. Neither of us are great about housework AND we have a weekly cleaner. The stuff we were sharing was just to not have house fall apart early years with kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I did was to serve DD her dinner in the same dishes she left after breakfast. She was all ‘Hey! This is dirty and disgusting!!’, and I said yup, it sure is. The expectation thereafter was that she will be served her next meal in whatever she left, and that got fixed quickly. Having a foster puppy that would chew EVERYTHING up has helped get things off the floor, although not necessarily put away in their place.

This is genius.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go on a "no longer doing laundry" or "no longer cooking any meals for them". Hit them where it hurts. Cook for yourself and do your laundry but nothing for them. They will come around fast!

I forgot. Throw away anything not in it's proper place.

Then you'll just end up buying a lot of new silverware, cups,plates, socks and underwear. It seems like a good idea, but the reality is dn expensive since you can't send kids out nude and you don't want to drink from the faucet while holding your food over a maggot laden sink full of dirty dishes.

Ever hear of paper plates, plastic ware. Let them wear dirty clothes, maybe they'll get the idea. OP is their mother/wife not their maid.

You still have to buy the plates and cups and plastic silverware, plus that generates more garbage to hang around. Not a great solution.

[Anonymous]

What worked for my mother was yelling at the top of her lungs that X needed to get done and not shutting up until it was. Lights on and no one in the room? "WHO LEFT THE LIGHT ON IN THE KITCHEN? COME AND TURN OFF THE LIGHT IN THE KITCHEN! WHO LEFT IT ON? I WANT WHOEVER LEFT ON THE LIGHT TO COME AND TURN IT OFF NOW!" And walk from room to room until someone got off their ass and turned off the light.

But we were suckers back in my day. Kids now would probably just put in the earbuds. Watching this space to see what works.

[Anonymous]

I stopped cleaning my husband's side of the bathroom and it got mold and mildewy. He doesn’t seem to notice, which is weird coming from a person who must sanitize his hands every time he touches a food menu or goes out in public.

[Anonymous]

How old are your kids?

Mine was taught and reminded to carry his dishes and cup to the sink. He doesn’t get the next meal or snack until it’s done. He also has to tidy things from the floor before I vacuum (he gets an advance warning), or anything lying around can get thrown out or tossed into my bucket of chaos in the basement never to be found again.

[Anonymous]

Does your husband do things when asked? I would gather all the laundry and tell him to run a load, and remind him to dry it in an hour. I’m happy to fold if he does this. If you are asking for specific help and he is ignoring, I don’t know what you can do besides insist on a cleaner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does your husband do things when asked? I would gather all the laundry and tell him to run a load, and remind him to dry it in an hour. I’m happy to fold if he does this. If you are asking for specific help and he is ignoring, I don’t know what you can do besides insist on a cleaner.

Tired of asking. I don't want to ask anymore.

[Anonymous]

You missed the boat. You have to address these issues very early in marriage.

[Anonymous]

Accurately estimate the time you spend cleaning. Suggest an even split payable by labor or $20/hour for a cleaner. Log for a month and then use the $ to hire a cleaner.