Friday, July 8, 2011

failure as a mom

I try to be a decent mother. You know, teach my kids moral lessons, teach them life skills, stress education, force them to go to bed on time, run them to soccer practice, attend every game/meet, keep them fed and clothed, etc...

However, one area I am a complete and total failure in -- I can NOT get my kids/husband to put their dishes in the dishwasher. Seems so simple to me but...

If I am standing there telling them to do it, they will. Otherwise, they leave the dishes in the sink. When I get upset, the standard response is "I didn't know if the dishes in the dishwasher were clean or dirty." I'm not sure what is so difficult about opening the door to check.

Don't suggest the dirty/clean reversible magnet. They are not sure whether to believe it and again, it's just too darn hard to open the dishwasher to check.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Is this just one more of the things that people tell me I'll miss when the kids are all grown and gone? I am having a hard time imaging that!

3 comments:

  1. If this makes you a failure then I have failed worse than you!! My kids/husband for the most part put their plates in the sink (the kids do the dishes anyway so they have to deal with the dishwasher.) However, I have one son,Jacob, who rarely picks up his dishes from the table. He will just leave them for his imaginary server to take them away for him!!! It drives me nuts. We all have our failures or what we think of as failures. I have failed in getting my kids to take care of their laundry and the towels in the bathroom really drive me nuts. I hate going into their bathroom!! I could go on an on but I won't.

    I will tell you that YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE!! You are a Success because your kids love you. That's all that matters!! :)

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  2. My kids usually leave the dishes on the table so you are one up on me. Also, if they do remember to put it in the dishwasher and it is full of clean dishes I get in trouble because they were finally remembering to put them in the dishwasher to help and I didn't make sure it got emptied. Sometimes you can't win no matter what! I just roll my eyes and laugh (or sometimes scream).

    Jill

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  3. I have never been able to get my husband to put his dishes in the dishwasher either. I make up for it by asking him to unload.

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