My Big Plan

So as I'm on my hands and knees, my glamourous blue rubber gloves with the floral cuffs adorning my hands up to my elbows, cleaning the bathroom floor, Little K walks in and says to me:  "What are you doing, Mum?"  In his defense, it's not surprising he's asking me this question because it's something he rarely sees.  Please notice I said "rarely".  So that doesn't mean never.  Just almost never.

This gets me thinking about one of my goals in life...to be the best mother-in-law in the world.  I have a sneaky 'lil plan; I just don't know how I'm going to go about achieving it yet.  One way I think I can achieve this highly coveted status is not by cleaning my future daughter-in-law's bathroom, though I guess that would make me pretty amazing.  No, her fabulous husband can do that.  And by "fabulous husband", I mean one of MY fabulous boys, which I'm going to help create.  I need to teach them how to clean, how to LOVE cleaning, how not to complain about cleaning, to clean with a smile on their face and to know that cleaning is not only woman's work.  Quite a task I've set for myself.

The question is:  When do I start on my evil ingenious plan?  I've taught them a few things here and there...have had them vaccuum or wipe up a spill, help clean their room, but they're still itty-bitties afterall.  Sometimes it's just easier for Hubby and I to do it ourselves. (I know!  I'm sabotaging the whole thing!)  I just get so tired of hearing myself talk about cleaning, cajoling my boys into doing it without much success.  What I want to know is:  When do I put a mop and bucket in their hands and say off you go and you'll thank me for this later when all the girls are beating down your oh-so-clean and dare I say fresh-smelling bachelor pad.  If my boys don't thank me, their sigificant others surely will.  And then of course once they have said mop and bucket in hand, how do I make them head off in the direction of the loo, willingly and with a sure-mom-anything-for-you attitude?  ('Cuz that attitude exists, right?)  There will no doubt be an insane amount of whining wheeling and dealing involved.

I'm really going to have to think this through because I'm thinking that Hubby and I may not be the best role models for the boys when it comes to keeping a tidy/clean house.  Don't get me wrong...we clean up...I'd be really insane if we didn't (as opposed to just a little bit insane?)  This is a "do as I say, not as I do" situation.  I used to be a good and consistent cleaner back in my single days when it didn't take half the day to pick up the crap toys on the floor before you even pulled out the vaccuum. 

All is not lost though because I know good cleaners run in my family.  My Dad was the youngest of a bunch of kids and his mom was pretty great at raising him to be a good husband...(well, at least in the area of keeping up the home.  He sucked at the faithful husband part.)  But he was a good cleaner/fixer-upper, those sorts of things.  My brothers don't shy away from a good cleaning either.  And Hubby?   Um, when it gets bad...really bad.  However, when he's in his cleaning mood, he is pretty thorough.  (See, Hubby?  This really is a compliment.)

I think my lack-luster attitude about the deep clean goes back to after having Big T and reading that you don't want to over sanitize everything...helps build a better immune system, etc.  I let out a big sigh of relief and maybe even a loud "Hoo Haw!" with a click of my heels thrown in.  To say I was relieved would be an understatement.  Afterall, I didn't want my child to be sick all the time.  I had a great uncle who used to say "You have to eat a ton of dirt before you die".  Makes sense to me.

Whoops!  Looks like I've gone on a bit of a tangent.  Back to the question of when to begin with my boys?  I remember my Mom writing names on the calendar for which kid's day it was to do the dishes.  I think I was about 11.

So I'm looking to hear from some of you fabulous moms out there who might be able to give me some great tips on this subject and help me in my not so meniacal plan.  Especially those of you with older children. What worked?  What didn't? 

I couldn't resist setting these shots up...look how my 'lil dudes obliged me.  A good sign perhaps?