"I don't want to have to wash any dishes, so from now on, drink straight from the faucet or milk carton."
I’m amazed at how much stuff I have to teach the kids. “Sleep in your bed, not on the floor” seems like an obvious bit of knowledge to me, but Ian has trouble mastering this concept. “Don’t eat dog food” is another bit of obviousness that eludes the boys.
I’m currently teaching Abbie that dirty dishes go in the sink. Her old standard place to leave dirty dishes is on the floor. She typically throws her plate, uneaten food and all, off her tray and into the air in a stunning display of “all done” that’s replete with bravado. I appreciate her enthusiasm, but I’d rather she didn’t dump her food on the floor and make me clean up after her, and by “me,” I mean “the dog.”
I’ve always cleaned my dirty dishes. Even in my earliest memories, I knew enough to carry my dirty dishes to the kitchen, or at least leave them on the table so my parents could easily take care of them while I watched television. Maybe I’m just odd.* Maybe my brain is over-exaggerating my dish cleaning efficiency. Maybe my parents drilled into me from birth the importance of carrying used dishes to the sink so they don’t freak out when they find a moldy two-week-old plate under the couch. Either way, I’ve got work to do.
We’re starting simple with cups. If I can convince her to always dispose of her empty cups in the sink I could save hours every week in time spent searching for lost cups. I’m learning their hiding places, but the kids are constantly finding new places to drop their cups after they’ve drained them.
A couple mornings ago, I gave her orange juice only after explaining the importance of putting her empty cup in the sink with a gravitas usually associated with news of assassinations. Abbie quickly sucked it dry as usual, and dropped it where she stood as usual. I reminded her that it needs to go in the sink, and she proceeded to drop it in the sink after only a half-dozen more reminders.
Yesterday morning I again gave her juice, and again told her to put her empty cup in the sink. This time Abbie took a few sips from her cup, walked to the sink, and dumped the juice in the sink before dumping the cup in as well.
Add “finish your cup’s contents before leaving it in the sink” to the list of obvious yet evasive knowledge.
* More so than I originally thought.
I’m currently teaching Abbie that dirty dishes go in the sink. Her old standard place to leave dirty dishes is on the floor. She typically throws her plate, uneaten food and all, off her tray and into the air in a stunning display of “all done” that’s replete with bravado. I appreciate her enthusiasm, but I’d rather she didn’t dump her food on the floor and make me clean up after her, and by “me,” I mean “the dog.”
I’ve always cleaned my dirty dishes. Even in my earliest memories, I knew enough to carry my dirty dishes to the kitchen, or at least leave them on the table so my parents could easily take care of them while I watched television. Maybe I’m just odd.* Maybe my brain is over-exaggerating my dish cleaning efficiency. Maybe my parents drilled into me from birth the importance of carrying used dishes to the sink so they don’t freak out when they find a moldy two-week-old plate under the couch. Either way, I’ve got work to do.
We’re starting simple with cups. If I can convince her to always dispose of her empty cups in the sink I could save hours every week in time spent searching for lost cups. I’m learning their hiding places, but the kids are constantly finding new places to drop their cups after they’ve drained them.
A couple mornings ago, I gave her orange juice only after explaining the importance of putting her empty cup in the sink with a gravitas usually associated with news of assassinations. Abbie quickly sucked it dry as usual, and dropped it where she stood as usual. I reminded her that it needs to go in the sink, and she proceeded to drop it in the sink after only a half-dozen more reminders.
Yesterday morning I again gave her juice, and again told her to put her empty cup in the sink. This time Abbie took a few sips from her cup, walked to the sink, and dumped the juice in the sink before dumping the cup in as well.
Add “finish your cup’s contents before leaving it in the sink” to the list of obvious yet evasive knowledge.
* More so than I originally thought.
posted by Matt at
11:48 PM
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