[blparent] The maid wants to go on strike!

[Jo Elizabeth Pinto]

Little pizzas might be a good idea.  The dishes thing is interesting--I did 
stop him from leaving half full drinks sitting around where they could be, 
and were often, knocked over.  I said if I had to clean up one more spill I 
was going to take all the cups and glasses out of the kitchen and leave only 
sippies.  I would have done it, too, but so far I haven't had to.  Also, I 
have an empty Pringles can in my utensil drawer, and all of the steak knives 
go into that can so I don't reach into the drawer and grab one of the blades 
by accident.  I did take all of the knives and put them in a hiding place, 
and when I returned them to the drawer, I haven't had any more trouble with 
the blades not going into the Pringles can.

Jo Elizabeth

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a 
song."  Maya Angelou

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2012 11:04 AM
To: "'Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blparent] The maid wants to go on strike!

>        To put a more positive spin on this, maybe his mom enjoys waiting 
> on him or maybe she's got some control issues and he's gotten yelled at 
> for not doing things exactly as she would do them?
>
> Not that you need to put up with this, but you may not know what went on 
> or goes on when he's with his mom.
> If he was living with me, I'd first tell him what I expect. Then if he 
> ignored me, I'd make him feel the pain.  If dishes don't go where they 
> need to, well, he must not care so he doesn't get a place set at the next 
> meal because that requires clean dishes.  If his clothes are everywhere, 
> well he must not need them clean.
>
> Also, I'd probably have made Sarah a nonpizza lunch and explained to her 
> that you're trying to train her silly stepbrother.  I say this because 
> he's just figured out that if Sarah wants something you'll do it.  That's 
> not technically fair to Sarah but it also isn't fair that you fee like the 
> maid and all of you need to realize you live as a group.
>
> If you just can't say no to pizza, can you get little pizzas, only big 
> enough for one so Sarah can have hers and stepson can go without?
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> Behalf Of Jo Elizabeth Pinto
> Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2012 5:12 PM
> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: [blparent] The maid wants to go on strike!
>
> Hi.  Summer vacation is just beginning around here, and my stepson is 
> living with us during the weeks and going home to his mom on the weekends. 
> It's a workable arrangement, except for one thing.  I think my stepson is 
> used to his mom pretty much waiting on him.  Like today, he wanted a 
> frozen pizza for lunch, but he made no move to get up and make it.  I 
> finally did the job because Sarah wanted some too.  He doesn't put dishes 
> in the dishwasher, or if he does, they're not rinsed first.  He doesn't 
> see a problem with clothes all over the floor.  The maid wants to go on 
> strike!
>
> Any tips for how to deal with older kids?  Sarah's young enough that she 
> pretty much does what I tell her, and she already knows she has to put 
> dishes in the sink and clothes in the hamper.  But my stepson is driving 
> me crazy, and I just don't have the energy to keep my house from getting 
> to look like Hurricane Katrina has taken up residence.
>
> Run ragged,
> Jo Elizabeth
>
> "A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a 
> song."  Maya Angelou
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