Rita Reviews

living my best possible southern life

Spring Cleaning with the Seniors

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For those of you who don’t know already my house is rather full. There is myself, four kids, and two senior citizens. Senior citizens who believe that their way is the only way to do things. I can’t begin to tell you how often they drive me crazy and I’m talking more than the kids.

That is never more evident than on the days they decide to help me clean and do the laundry. First I don’t do the laundry right according to my mother. I never had and I don’t know why she thinks I’m gonna chance how I do it now.

Turn Everything

What is that I do wrong? Well, I don’t always turn everything. Before y’all start leaving comments about how horrible that is please know that laundry day is an all day thing at my home. I have tried to do smaller loads but then end up doing laundry every day of the week. So there are times when I don’t bother turning something the right way. I tell everyone to make sure they turn their laundry before they put it into the basket. All of the kids do it even the twins but I swear the elderly people refuse to do it. They just refuse!

There’s Soap On There

This is another point of contention. They do the dishes sometimes at night and my guess is they can’t see the soap that is still on the dishes. I know with Ma that is one of the issues. She needs surgery on her eyes and if I bring it up there is a fight. So I have taken to redoing the dishes at night after they have gone to bed. I have discovered that is much easier than pointing out all the soap suds anymore.

Did You Forget the Floor?

Okay, this is my issue! First let me say that my mother use to sweep, vacuum, and mop the floor every single day when I was growing up. So I was taught that is how it needs to be done. Over the years I have thinned that out a little but they just don’t bother with the floor at all. They will tell me what all the y cleaned and I swear the floor looks like they threw all the dirt onto it. Then if I start to clean it they get all offended. So I vacuum while they are taking their morning walk every single morning now. I am getting one of those automatic things to do this daily for me. They actually go in and out of the house more than any of the rest of us which means they are the ones bringing in all of the dirt!

I know all of this sounds like I am just complaining but honestly I’m not. I am just pointing out the differences in how I clean and how the senior citizens clean. It amazes me because my mother was so OCD about cleaning when we were growing up. When my father got sick and then died she just stopped doing it. She will still help out some days but for the most part she just no longer cares enough about it, unless she is pointing out all the ways I am doing wrong. That ends with us arguing and me just walking away. Some days I have to remind myself that she is set in her ways.

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Comments

  1. Oh boy. I feel for you. I am so OCD that would all drive me nuts. You are a tougher woman than me.

  3. My husband likes to do the basic house work , so I let him. I do the major big jobs. It works for us.

    • I wish we did more of that here. I don’t mind doing all of the cleaning but sometimes it just isn’t worth the headache.

  4. Yeah, it’s not easy. My mother came to live with us for the last few years of her life, and although we got along great, there were some conflicts, for sure. Like whether to store the coffee in the refrigerator or on the counter. At the time, it could be aggravating, but I’d give anything to be able to have her around again. It may sound funny, but enjoy your seniors while you can!

    • I agree with you. One thing I have learned over the last few years is how to pick my battles. I can remember arguing with my father over things when I was younger and there are days I would give anything to do that again. Saying the seniors is funny but the other day my uncle told me “The peasants are hungry, so get off the phone.” Some days let me tell you!

  6. I can understand, I like cleaning and having things a certain way but now that I am older , I really don’t care, I clean up
    enough to know but I don’t put the effort in as I once have. I think the older we get we just realize its not that important any more,
    @tisonlyme143

  8. Tell me about it! My Mom INSISTS on washing dishes in a plastic container that fits the kitchen sink, whereas I’ll pull it out to do the dishes. It’s a deep sink and i can get more dishes done faster…but have to do dishes when she isn;t around or she gets upset I’m not washing dishes in the plastic container…

    • OMG! My grandmother had ones of those things. I always hated it. The best it was for, in my opinion, was to thaw out the meat for dinner.

  9. OMG — I can relate to this big time as I share a home with my mother, and I swear that everything I do is wrong!!!