Darn.

As part of our massive reorganization (thanks to you fabulously smart and orderly people), we've been decluttering in the girls' rooms this weekend and Ana's room is taking a zillion times longer than Jane's because Ana's such a clutter cat. So I was trying to get her to go do something else while I clandestinely filled my garbage bag with useless plastic crap treasures and I said, "Hey, if you need a snack, you are welcome to take it and eat it at the computer."

She said, "Oh, thanks." but then she didn't go anywhere.

I said, "You can help yourself to some Oreos."

She looked at me in consternation.

And she said, "I'm afraid to leave you alone in my room."

She's on to me.

Darn.

Comments

Kathy Ireland said…
Jessie, once, saw some little corner of something, THROUGH the garbage bag that I had mistakenly put down on my way to the outside trash can to, oh, I don't know, pee or something...and in that split second, ripped open the garbage bag, pulled out the piece of crap and yelled at me!
Susan said…
I always waited until they went to camp. Over the week they were gone I could clean, reorganize and the time away had an amnesia like effect!

If they are not going away - bribery. Determine how much you are wiling to pay for each item. My kids usually went for that.
Ann in NJ said…
Yeah, we screwed up too. While they were at camp we cleaned out the family room toys (just the ones they haven't played with, in, oh, say a YEAR). But we didn't get them all they way to charity/garbage - and William found them. There have been tears. There have been admissions of defeat by parents.
smalltownme said…
Oh, that sounds so familiar! My younger son used to be such a packrat, he would save the packaging from his toys. Thankfully he has outgrown that.
Lynn said…
ROTFL!!!!! I understand since I was a *clutter cat* as well. The rule was as long as I could contain it in my desk, it was fine. Onced it started to overwhelm the desk (and the closet and the left side of my bed), then I knew I had to take action.

Meanwhile my sil will wait until they are away at school or a friend's house and then go wild!
Unknown said…
ha! BUSTED!!!!
I did this recently with my son and I allowed him to decide which things would stay or go, but I think he thinks it's an on-going thing. The other night I came upstairs after tidying up his toys in the living room (I didn't call him down t do it like usual as I didn't feel like a fuss) and when I chided him for leaving them mess, he commented on how much he loves the diggers he'd left out and he'd be sad if they "went away..."
hokgardner said…
I go into my girls' room once a month with a trash bag. But I have learned from experience that I have to do it when they're not home and then to make sure the bag is buried in the big trash can outside, otherwise we have thermonuclear meltdowns.

Today, after the girls had "cleaned" their room, I sent them in with instructions to pick up and bring me five pieces of garbage. Each came back out with five tiny bits of paper and fluff from the floor.

Sigh.