Anonymous wrote:I would let DD go to the event. The room should not have gotten so out of control that it would take three hours to clean. A child (or even teen) could easily feel overwhelmed and not know where to begin. Next week I would make a plan to tackle the job and then for regular maintenance. For example, day 1, pick up all the dirty clothes and put in hamper. Day 2 wash and put away the clothes. Day 3 pick up all the books and put on shelf. When all is back in shape, schedule 10 minutes of pickup time per day. I would not punish a child by taking away today's event when this problem must have been building for some time.
Crazy, crazy, crazy advise in the very first sentence.