This is part of why teens dislike “joining the family” as their parents put it. No need to yell too loud, Elly, just tell him to clean it up and expect him to do it. Or not! It is his room to live in.
Neither of my parents were the screamer type about a messy bedroom when it came to the three of us kids. They just put us on total lockdown until the mess was out of sight (which in my case meant stashed inside the desk and the leaf dropped), the beds made, floors swept/vacuumed, and dusting had been done. We were only going to school, meals, and homework. And we had better not be in the bed unless finished when a progress check was made. To be fair to Ellie, maybe she is not screaming and just talking loud with hand gestures.
Brother doesn’t remember that he used to just make a pile in the middle of his room. I think mom just ignored it and perhaps closed the door so we didn’t have to look at it as we passed his room to the bathroom.
The day will come when Michael makes a date with a cute girl and all his good clothes are knotted up on the floor with jeans etc….his room will become surprisingly spotless soon afterwards.
Think he needs to Kano and clear out about s third of his things. Then he will have room for it all. hard when growing too clear out you kid stuff while a teen but you need to or your room well - looks like his.
Time for Michael to buy himself a clothes basket for his clothes fresh from the dryer. No need for Ellie to fold them any longer. And Michael will have to deal with not having clean clothes if he can’t find the energy to put his dirty ones in the laundry.
Our daughter’s room was that messy at that age and we put a sign on her bedroom door that said ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK thinking it might shame her into cleaning it up! Turns out she thought it was “cool” and showed it off to all her girlfriends! ;o{
In our house, not until our kids grew old enough to do real chores, not just fun toy clean up, did they start to make sure that they left the place as they found it. And by the time our kids left the house they knew how to take care of themselves as far as keeping their rooms passably put together and no clothes on the floor. They also knew how to cook and clean up after. (As an aside, even my mother was really impressed how they used to vacuum the house when it was their turn.)
Be thankful, Michael. My mom never made me clean up after myself, so I never developed good cleaning habits. Now, my house is so messy I would die of embarrassment if anyone had to come in.
My mother had a great way of making sure we picked up our clothes. If the clothes were not in the dirty clothes bins by the washing machine, they did not get washed. Any clean clothes that were not put away within 24 hours of washing disappeared. That’s right, she would take the clothes and take them to charity. If we didn’t appreciate what we had, there were loads of poor kids that would. It didn’t take many items to disappear before all 5 of us were well-trained. Now if only I could train my husband to put his clothes away!
This comic strip shows us that it no longer matters what words Elly is screaming at her children. We have seen them often enough that the author no longer feels the need to write them in, because we know exactly what she is saying.
In the first panel she is pointing at the sock, so it is probably sock-related. Me personally, I would be concerned about the strange purple blobby growth on the floor that is deep enough for Michael to sink his feet into it.
In the second panel, Elly’s eyes are closed and she has thrown her head back for maximum screaming, so it is difficult to tell where her focus is. It appears that in the closet the purple blobby growth is so high that Michael has taken to putting his clothes on the shelf about the clothes rod, possibly to keep the purple blobby growth from eating them.
In the third panel, is Elly focusing on the books that are stored both on the chest of drawers and in the chest of drawers, or is she focusing on the unfinished apple core by saying there is still good apple on that core, or wondering why Michael is feeding his book an apple when there is some perfectly good book food that should be used instead? I think any of those would be good choices.
Templo S.U.D. over 5 years ago
You are so organizationally challenged, Michael Patterson.
Rosette over 5 years ago
This is part of why teens dislike “joining the family” as their parents put it. No need to yell too loud, Elly, just tell him to clean it up and expect him to do it. Or not! It is his room to live in.
KenTheCoffinDweller over 5 years ago
Neither of my parents were the screamer type about a messy bedroom when it came to the three of us kids. They just put us on total lockdown until the mess was out of sight (which in my case meant stashed inside the desk and the leaf dropped), the beds made, floors swept/vacuumed, and dusting had been done. We were only going to school, meals, and homework. And we had better not be in the bed unless finished when a progress check was made. To be fair to Ellie, maybe she is not screaming and just talking loud with hand gestures.
Enter.Name.Here over 5 years ago
All hazardous waste must be properly isolated, sealed off and contained … So CLOSE THE DOOR!
rekam Premium Member over 5 years ago
Brother doesn’t remember that he used to just make a pile in the middle of his room. I think mom just ignored it and perhaps closed the door so we didn’t have to look at it as we passed his room to the bathroom.
kfccanada over 5 years ago
The day will come when Michael makes a date with a cute girl and all his good clothes are knotted up on the floor with jeans etc….his room will become surprisingly spotless soon afterwards.
Jelliqal over 5 years ago
Think he needs to Kano and clear out about s third of his things. Then he will have room for it all. hard when growing too clear out you kid stuff while a teen but you need to or your room well - looks like his.
Holilubillkori Premium Member over 5 years ago
Jeremy (Zits) & Michael sat in class for “Bedroom Pigpens 101”
Thechildinme over 5 years ago
Time for Michael to buy himself a clothes basket for his clothes fresh from the dryer. No need for Ellie to fold them any longer. And Michael will have to deal with not having clean clothes if he can’t find the energy to put his dirty ones in the laundry.
HappyDog/ᵀʳʸ ᴮᵒᶻᵒ ⁴ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵘⁿ ᵒᶠ ᶦᵗ Premium Member over 5 years ago
Not just the door, Michael, you left yourself wide open.
joefearsnothing over 5 years ago
Our daughter’s room was that messy at that age and we put a sign on her bedroom door that said ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK thinking it might shame her into cleaning it up! Turns out she thought it was “cool” and showed it off to all her girlfriends! ;o{
Jabroniville Premium Member over 5 years ago
haha- good ol’ screaming Elly. Michael’s line at the end is pretty good, too- a nice twist!
nggt413 over 5 years ago
How in the world did he get a sock in the light fixture?
1JennyJenkins over 5 years ago
In our house, not until our kids grew old enough to do real chores, not just fun toy clean up, did they start to make sure that they left the place as they found it. And by the time our kids left the house they knew how to take care of themselves as far as keeping their rooms passably put together and no clothes on the floor. They also knew how to cook and clean up after. (As an aside, even my mother was really impressed how they used to vacuum the house when it was their turn.)
DCBakerEsq over 5 years ago
Michael needs a maid. Or, a wife.
tuslog1964 over 5 years ago
That’ll learn him!
JD'Huntsville'AL over 5 years ago
Be thankful, Michael. My mom never made me clean up after myself, so I never developed good cleaning habits. Now, my house is so messy I would die of embarrassment if anyone had to come in.
dragonbite over 5 years ago
Needs one of those curtains that looks like a picture of a clean room to put over the door.
The problem is when the mess gets to be so bad you can’t close the door.
timbob2313 Premium Member over 5 years ago
I think it was the smell coming from Mike’s room that got to mom
pchemcat over 5 years ago
My mother had a great way of making sure we picked up our clothes. If the clothes were not in the dirty clothes bins by the washing machine, they did not get washed. Any clean clothes that were not put away within 24 hours of washing disappeared. That’s right, she would take the clothes and take them to charity. If we didn’t appreciate what we had, there were loads of poor kids that would. It didn’t take many items to disappear before all 5 of us were well-trained. Now if only I could train my husband to put his clothes away!
howtheduck over 5 years ago
This comic strip shows us that it no longer matters what words Elly is screaming at her children. We have seen them often enough that the author no longer feels the need to write them in, because we know exactly what she is saying.
In the first panel she is pointing at the sock, so it is probably sock-related. Me personally, I would be concerned about the strange purple blobby growth on the floor that is deep enough for Michael to sink his feet into it.
In the second panel, Elly’s eyes are closed and she has thrown her head back for maximum screaming, so it is difficult to tell where her focus is. It appears that in the closet the purple blobby growth is so high that Michael has taken to putting his clothes on the shelf about the clothes rod, possibly to keep the purple blobby growth from eating them.
In the third panel, is Elly focusing on the books that are stored both on the chest of drawers and in the chest of drawers, or is she focusing on the unfinished apple core by saying there is still good apple on that core, or wondering why Michael is feeding his book an apple when there is some perfectly good book food that should be used instead? I think any of those would be good choices.