Cleaning Up Miss Messy's Cave

I just finished cleaning Kid 1's room. OMG. Number #1 on the list--or at least near the top--of the things that a parent should never say to a kid must be "What on earth is WRONG with you? I repeated this question over and over to myself as I picked up a bizarre melange of crap off her floor.

Price tags, empty tampon boxes, a single Hot Ball still pristine in its clear wrapper, a dozen empty plastic shopping bags most from H&M and MadeWell, bits of popcorn, used Q-tips (Eewwwww), candy bar wrappers, expensive drawing pads in various sizes, five dollars in change, other assorted trash, a zillion of those low cut brightly colored low-top socks--all balled up, none clean--, dirty underwear and expensive tossed off Victoria's Secret bras--mostly behind the bed. There were piles all fashion mags with additional pages of same cut up and splayed casually. And of course, clothes.

Ninety-nine percent of the time I am laid back about the state of her room. Ordinarily I don't go in there, but today was the day to put away the winter clothes, sort for Goodwill candidates and break out the summer duds. I carefully fold these duds and put them in their assigned drawers once. After that she's on her own.

I had a friend once, a stay-at home Dad who would gather up the stuff on the floor of his daughter's room and put it in trash bags. Then he'd throw the bags out the window and onto the front lawn. I guess he thought the inconvenience and humiliation would motivate her to be neat and organized later in life. Today her apartment is a disgusting mess, according to her father. Big surprise there--not.

It has been a few hours now. I just spent her change to buy lunch. Hah! I am still amazed that anyone who is not a true cave dweller could return home from a shopping trip (most likely funded by her father) take out the new item and simply drop the tags, the receipt, and the bag on the floor. Who does that?? It's beyond lazy. WHAT on earth is wrong with that kid??

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