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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Clearing up the mess DD17

9 replies

Foyled · 03/08/2011 12:54

I am finding it increasingly impossible to get my DD17 to clear up to sort out her stuff, we have moved to a smaller house recently and it has made the problem worse.

In the end we threatened to dump everything she had left on a table (after her exams so it had been there months) in bin bags in her room if she didn't move it by a certain time. Anyway shortly before time up after a stern reminder she cleared it, but now I discover she has put most of the stuff in a bin bag anyway!

My main concern is that she never knows where anything is because of the chaos.

I know some of you will say she should learn by her mistakes, but she doesn't...

I think she would like everything to be organised to complete precision and as she can't attain that, she just gives up.

Sound familiar and any suggestions?

OP posts:
ragged · 03/08/2011 12:57

Less stuff might be the solution. Any chance of her culling some of it?
DD is pretty messy, too, she discovered a pair of shorts this morning that went missing about 6 weeks ago; I scoured everywhere to no avail & suddenly she found them today (sigh).

GypsyMoth · 03/08/2011 12:58

My dd is same age.......I 'found' some mouse droppings (little carved bits of woodchip from the garden)

Sorted it!

Ticandtac · 03/08/2011 13:28

ILoveTIFFANY good but don't think it would work somehow, I would be rumbled or she would freak out completely and refuse to go in there.

Ragged less stuff is definitely the solution but she won't sort it out!

adamschic · 03/08/2011 13:32

I feel your pain. DD took over our lounge when she was revising for exams. Even though I bought a desk for her room. I asked her time and time again to move her stuff to her room which fell on deaf ears. I kept piling her books up and moving them out of sight until there were 4 high piles cluttering up my space.

I waited until the exams finished an chucked them all into the middle of her room.

She is also 17 and can never find importants bits of paper.

GypsyMoth · 03/08/2011 13:34

Ticandtac......are you op? Confused me there!

Ticandtac · 03/08/2011 13:42

Oh yes name changed...

generalhaig · 03/08/2011 15:16

would an incentive of getting her room redecorated work? ds(14) wants his room redone in a more 'grown-up' style but never tidies it

I've told him that he can have his room redecorated/new bed etc if and only if he can show me that he can keep his current room tidy and clean between now and Christmas (it would be joint Christmas/birthday present - Jan birthday)

There are books in a pile in the middle of the floor which have been there since the end of his end-of-year exams so I think my money's safe Grin, but it might work for your dd as she's just that bit older (and more sensible??)

Ticandtac · 03/08/2011 15:36

Unfortunately generalhaig she would be just like your son, don't think it would even appeal as an incentive. :( Thanks for the empathy adamschic :)

TangerineQueen · 09/08/2011 17:04

While I was a teenager away for a few days my mum literally put the entire contents of my room into bin bags so I was forced to sort through it or risk losing things. I was kind of annoyed but in some ways it did make the task easier and show me Mum meant business.

I am now a reasonably houseproud adult.

Love the mouse dropping suggestion though!

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