I was certainly not the best
mom but when we lived on 40 acres in Missouri (1992 to 2004), it was part of my mission in
life to teach my kids to work. I was trying to emulate my Mennonite neighbors
who aim to teach their boys to do everything the father can do by age 16 and
for the girls to be able to do everything the mother can do by age 16. There
were no sexist divisions in our household though. We had, in fairly quick
succession, Richard, Alden, Taylor, and Spencer. (Their acronym: RATS—we didn’t
get a girl.) They hauled wood and split and cut it when they got old enough. They
hauled hay and fed horses and milked the cow and weeded long rows of
raspberries and blueberries. But they also had to do dishes and mop floors.
All four of them are such
good dads now who help clean the house and change diapers. I am very proud of
them, as that was my goal.
My one regret though is that
I didn’t teach them to clean the bathroom the way my mom taught me. I’m so
sorry I did you this disservice. I can only make up for it by teaching the last
four. Today was 16 year old Nathan’s turn. Nathan has been the “inept” one who
always wanted to be waited on but this year, that has changed. (He was born
with TAPVR—total anomalous pulmonary veinous return but I didn’t know until his
father and I separated; Nathan had open heart surgery three years ago and is
finally becoming strong like a normal kid.) Nathan did so well cleaning the
bathroom! It was practically effortless. Okay, maybe it felt that way because I
was mostly talking and pointing. :-) I
do have talents and sometimes, I use them.
I picture my mom learning
this from her mom or Old Gram (my mom’s grandmother). I am typing this for the
benefit of my posterity.
1. Wipe the entire floor with a paper towel.
This gets all the nasty dust and hair. If you have never done this, you will be
shocked at what comes off an otherwise clean-looking floor. Yes, I know you can sweep it but this is how
my mother taught me.
2. Fill the sink with hot water. Pour in a
couple of tablespoons’ worth of Pine Sol. Or whatever cleaner you like.
3. Dip your rag in the water, wring it out, and
wipe down faucet and counter, door knobs, light switch.
4. Using the same sink of water, keep cleaning
and wringing your rag; clean toilet seat, cover and all of the outside of
porcelain. Scrub inside of toilet with brush.
5. Last, wipe entire floor with the rag.
6. Clean out sink and you are done.
That’s right, we didn’t do
the tub/shower. That’s a task for a different day. If it’s too big of a job, it
will just get procrastinated. Surely I’m not the only one who can procrastinate
cleaning a bathroom?? Melody, my dear daughter, you are next. I wonder what
kind of bathrooms you’ll encounter in the rain forest of Peru?
