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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have told my children that whilst cleaning the pit they call a bedroom I found

83 replies

D0oinMeCleanin · 09/09/2014 20:04

138 spiders. A colony of wild rats and 2 empty capri sun cartons crawling with maggots?

I only tidied their room last week. It's a total pit again.

They get £5 a week (or rather they don't get) pocket money for keeping their room clean. Clearly this is not enough of an incentive.

I know I shouldn't clean it for them but the mess bothers me greatly.

Of course when they go to bed I will tell them I removed all the insects and pests and as long as they stay clean they shouldn't come back.

OP posts:
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5
HappyAgainOneDay · 09/09/2014 20:08

Why not put the insects into a jar and show them what they have to sleep with tonight?

Original poster
D0oinMeCleanin · 09/09/2014 20:10

I'm not sure I'll have time to find 138 spiders in the next 30 minutes.

Although I'm sure there's 1 in the bathroom somewhere.

OP posts:
EugenesAxe · 09/09/2014 20:11

Did you really or are you telling them that? I fucking HATE maggots.

I like Happy 's suggestion

RJnomore · 09/09/2014 20:13

Tell them you found money and you are keeping it.

MyFairyKing · 09/09/2014 20:14

Take their money away.

Original poster
D0oinMeCleanin · 09/09/2014 20:16

No. I didn't really. There were 2 maggot free capri sun cartons and no spiders or wild rats.

I'm not sure the rats bit worked. Dd2 wanted to sex them, name them and put them in with her pet rats Hmm

OP posts:
HappyAgainOneDay · 09/09/2014 21:43

Have another Wine DOoinMeCleaning

seasavage · 09/09/2014 21:48

Bin everything on the floor?
If they leave stuff there they can't want it that much. (Plus I have a no food and drink upstairs rule to avoid really gross finds ).
My mum did this to my brother and I once. I hate tidying dtill. But I am a reasonably motivated tidier still.

BlackbirdOnTheWire · 09/09/2014 21:50

Grin When I told DD that her bedroom was such a tip that she'd have rats living in it, that also backfired spectacularly. She started making a nest for the hypothetical rats by crumpling up yet more paper!

I have no advice. Only sympathy.

PixieofCatan · 09/09/2014 21:54

Bad idea to tell her that there were wild rats when you have pet ones, even I am half tempted to try taming some ;)

How old are your children? Bin bag everything and hide it? That worked with me when I was about 11 for a week

BitterAndOnlySlightlyTwisted · 09/09/2014 21:54

The best solution to a messy kid's bedroom is a closed door.

FrancesNiadova · 09/09/2014 21:57

I dump everything I find on the floor on their beds, so they have to shift it before they can get in Wink

Goldenlab · 09/09/2014 22:01

When my daughter moved out I cleaned under her bed and found a fossilised frog. Presumably one of the cats had brought it in some years ago.

DeWee · 09/09/2014 22:03

I say "guess what I found in your room?"
"the floor!"

BlackeyedSusan · 09/09/2014 22:03

the garden can be full of spiders.. .take a torch... [evil]

Stratter5 · 09/09/2014 22:05

Ewwww @ fossilised frog.

Shut the door, and leave them to it. Or give them an ultimatum, then nuke the rooms, and either bin anything not put away, or confiscate it until their rooms are consistently tidy.

Stratter5 · 09/09/2014 22:06

Good slug weather atm. Just saying :)

canyou · 09/09/2014 22:07

maggots from the food binConfused but I am meanGrin
Wine I hate trying to clean their rooms

magoria · 09/09/2014 22:10

How many DC do you have?

Take the £5 each/week they are supposed to have as a reward for keeping their rooms clean and pay a cleaner to do your rooms. Shut the door on theirs and forget them.

Original poster
D0oinMeCleanin · 09/09/2014 22:19

Most of what I find on the floor goes up the hoover (loom bands, rat food and moshlings mainly) I only pick up what won't fit up the hoover. This doesn't seem to bother them.

They're sleeping now so they don't seem to traumatised by the thought of sharing a room with spiders and maggots.

I have 2 dc. They share a room.

OP posts:
Bulbasaur · 09/09/2014 22:39

My mom told me if I didn't clean my room she'd throw away all my toys, I didn't, she did, and it was so much easier keeping my room clean without all that crap to find a place for. Kids room get overwhelming so quickly because of all the toys.

After the rooms are clean, can you make making their bed first thing in the morning part of their routine? Then before bed a quick 10 minute clean up?

Small chunks are easier to manage than huge messes.

Fubsy · 09/09/2014 22:50

I found a dead mouse melded to the floor in dds room once. I thought there was a bit of a smell!

cece · 09/09/2014 22:55

Declutter first by throwing away the crap left on the floor. That will help them tidy up.

EugenesAxe · 09/09/2014 23:15

I am so gullible... cross posted with your comment about 138 spiders or I might have stood a chance!

I am glad anyway. I did think it odd that maggots were going for sugar and that you were very calm in the face of rats.

Original poster
D0oinMeCleanin · 10/09/2014 00:29

It's tidy now Cece. I did it for them Blush

Usually if it's not tidy on Sunday (pocket money day) I tidy it and then tell them I'll be spending my pocket money on me.

I didn't do it this Sunday. I thought if I just left them to it, it'd get so messy they'd be ashamed to let their friends in and do something about it. They have no shame.

The mess got to me before it did them.

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