Reasons why curtains should be opened ...

[crimboAkimbo]

I've been trying for several years to train my teen to open his bedroom curtains in the mornings. It's not a huge issue, but I don't think it's an unreasonable thing to aspire to is it?

Thing is, his bedroom is at the back of the house and he doesn't go in it much between getting dressed in the morning and getting undressed at the end of the day. So, being in possession of a hyper-logical teenage brain, he just doesn't see the point.

Whenever this comes up (regularly) I have to go round the "but why?" loop, so I trot out the same old arguments - it's the respectable thing to do, it's good training for the future when you're living with other people, it's simple and I've asked you to do it so why not, it's my house and my rules, no play-station till they're open, etc etc. However, clearly none of these arguments are clinching enough to drive a permanent change of habit.

Any advice? (I know I will get "stop worrying about it and give him a break" but I'm hoping for some more positive steers too).

to stop spiders buiding funnelling colonies behind it...

and yes, how can you open the window to air out the room without opening the curtains.

Argh, I hope you manage to train your teen, I’m still trying to train my DH! I am pretty sure that even if you don’t window the light prevents various bacteria and moulds growing that like dark places.

The uv light helps keep nasty bacteria at bay. Just tell him that opening his curtains will stop him getting athletes foot, jock itch etc!

We're the opposite, hardly ever close the curtains. Haven't even got them on some windows. If anyone goes and stands in the field at the back of our house they probably get an eyeful, serves them right.

Curtains regularly opened and closed show the house is occupied for burglars

When I was a child, closed curtains in the day meant a death / funeral in the house

Plus, just in my opinion, closed curtains in the daytime just look a bit slovenly. Sorry curtain closed folk

I find closed curtains in daytime depressing. Reminds me of illness and death. Not helpful to you though op, sorry!

I leave the blinds closed because people gawp through the windows if not and I appreciate my privacy. I think his logic is fairly sound really although if you were my mum I’d spend a second opening them just to shut you up .

Our window is open all the time so no need to open the curtains to open the window. All our bedrooms are at the back of the house too so no one can see how slovenly we are - not that I'd care anyway.

i don't always open mine, especially if one of us has had a rally late night and not up in the morning.
Sometimes I do, but not all curtains, mostly when we open windows to air the house.

@bitout slovenly? Or night shift worker?

Sunlight is has antiseptic qualities, that's why. I mean, I think it does but maybe that was just a line off my own mum. Whatever, it clearly did the trick!

Agree with everything @BitOutOfPractice has said,
OP, you need to be firmer, not debate the issue.
Curtains back, window open for a short time.

I allow maximum light and air in during daylight hours and only close curtains at night so I see where you are coming from OP.
I have neighbours who appear to live in Stygian gloom all the time. It must be so depressing being in their house.
With a teenager who refuses to conform with your standards reasoning is a waste of time. I always had to fall back on the "my house, my rules" and when you have your own home you can live in dank darkness if you so wish.

To assist air circulation which stops mould.
For solar gain to save energy.

Tell your lazy brat to help look after the house or to leave home.

The uv light helps keep nasty bacteria at bay.

Isn't glass pretty much UV opaque - hence not tanning indoors? Obviously there can be a point to opening the curtains when you have the window open.

Curtains regularly opened and closed show the house is occupied for burglar

But, curtains which are usually regularly opened and closed which then remain static show an observant burglar exactly when you're on holiday.

My Nan used to say "Get them open or the neighbours'll think someone's died".

For solar gain to save energy.

So is he ok to leave them closed in summer to prevent overheating?

If the windows have open trickle vents you don't need to open the windows fully to air the place a bit, but open curtains will help.

I don't know anyone who faffs around every day opening and closing all of their curtains

I don't know anyone that doesn't..!

I think it's a very basic house hold rule. Close at night, open in mornings.

🕷 in the dark

I find rooms tend to get a bit smelly and musty if the curtains haven't been opened during the day.

Curtains open or closed makes no difference to smells, air flow etc. That would be windows, not curtains.

On his rationale - why does he bother taking his school uniform off at night and putting pyjamas on? He's only going to have to put it back on again the next day so he'd be better off sleeping in it...

could you try that? Or is he liable (as some of mine were) to sleep in his school uniform to save time in the morning?

I always think the opposite re burglars. Surely if you never open them they wouldn’t know you’d gone away. But if you always open them and then suddenly don’t for a week that’s a dead giveaway. Anyway all the lights on and screaming at all hours let the whole neighbourhood know we are home!

Our neighbours don’t open theirs either. We are on a main road with floor to ceiling sashes, pulling up the blind takes bloody ages.

I wouldn't know @knottybeams I just said that's how I feel when I see my own teen's closed curtains in the day. Probably totally irrational but there you go. Just my opinion