Had enough of my family. I've gone on strike!

[Glastonbury2020]

Locked down with DH and 4 teenagers. Apart from me, no one:

• cooks any proper meals
• loads/ unloads the dishwasher
• puts a wash on
• wipes kitchen surfaces/ cooker top
• sweeps the floor
• cleans the bathroom
• makes lunch

I have had enough and I'm not doing it all anymore. Last night, I made myself a fish finger sandwich for dinner and ate it in my room. Ignored everyone when they wanted to know what was for dinner. This morning, I made breakfast for me and I'm now sitting in bed drinking tea. Rant over. Thank you for listening!

Keep it up! Only wash your clothes/bedsheets. Do you have an ensuite bathroom or guest room that you can properly kick your DH out into as well? So only cook for you/clean for you/wash for you. The house will get disgusting but please keep going!

Buy steak, cook it and eat it.
There is nothing so funny as the look on their faces when you tell them it's your reward for washing up.

Do you work as well ? I think if you are a SAHM it is very easy to get landed with all the grunt work if you are not careful! Good for you ,show them what they are missing and dont do it all for them in future!

Keep it up.
I hope it works for you.

Good for you OP.

@Glastonbury2020
'Oh please! Enough with the amateur psychology nonsense!'

Hahahahaha.
I feel you Glastonbury!!

Good for you OP . Pls let us know what they are doing in the meantime.

go on gal!!! take a much need rest

@Glastonbury2020
You might enjoy this film
www.imdb.com/title/tt1730762/

It sounds like your dh is useless so its no wonder the kids don't have a good example.
My dh grew up in a household where everyone pulled their weight. Chores were just a normal part of life. We are doing the same with my ds. He is only 4.5yo and already does a good few chores himself without even knowing there's a choice about not to do it. I would feel so put off if my dh was like yours and really ashamed if my kids were just the same.
You are not their slave but it seems like they seem to think you are.

Love the soup carton and empty chocolate digestives pack left on the side! Has anyone noticed yet? Said anything .Stay strong and let them stew for a few days! When LD over time to book a few days away with a chum or on your own I think!

@Hampotsandonions

Timeontimeoff I must admit I haven't resorted to switching off the internet, largely because I don't know how! (Not in UK, complicated by system.) I didn't moan though, I just stopped doing things like the op and effectively went on strike, which did work reasonably well.

I agree very much that DC should be prepared for independent life. One problem I have had though is that my DH is the messiest if all of us and so if he's not in board, it's a little undermining. I'm not trying to make excuses but if I totally ran my own ship (although I am sure that has huge challenges too) I think I would have been able to be much more single minded and direct about this. As it is the DC say, what about dad's office, clutter, mess everywhere?

Change the password -when the commual area are functioning and clean -you will get a text with the wifi password

"Your pettiness pleases me." Thank you for the laugh

My pettiness pleases me too! I'm off for a bath!

I am very much looking forward to how this goes. I have often dreamed of doing similar but checked myself because I realise I am not the tidiest anyway so I need to be reasonable. You seem beyond that OP. Huzzah!

Thank you for your support and for cheering on my empty biscuit packet!

@Glastonbury2020

Thank you for your support and for cheering on my empty biscuit packet!

I'm disappointed you didn't put the empty packet back in the cupboard

Seriously, these are teenagers and a grown adult.

I always wonder how on earth it can get to this stage. They've lived with you for most of two decades. How come they're not involved in the day to day cooking and cleaning as a matter of course?

Sorry, I just have limited sympathy if this is the way you've let life be structured all this time. If you don't want to be taken for granted, then you don't wait until it's ingrained behaviour, to have a strop.

Op I have no advice but wish I could do the same! You need a medal dealing with 4 teens though. I only have a 9 and 17 year old and that’s hard enough ( and a 16 week old husky puppy who is very demanding! )

I’m too soft.

I also went on strike at the beginning of lockdown.

I cook twice a week for everybody and make everybody else make their own dinner the rest of the time, including young teen!

OP have you taught your DC how to cook, do their washing etc?

Ha ha good on you, do not cave!!

@Glastonbury2020

My pettiness pleases me too! I'm off for a bath!

Please ensure that the tide mark around the bath is left uncleaned, bonus points for using a bath bomb. Your wet towel should be deposited in the middle of the bathroom floor and left to fester.

Enjoy your bath.

@Tier10

OP have you taught your DC how to cook, do their washing etc?

Why is it the OP's responsibility? Her DH should be able to teach them equally well, surely?

In any case, they are teenagers. Google is at their fingertips.

I tried this once. Dirty crockery was piled on the kitchen floor for a month.