The Striker Mom

Some of you know that I went on 'strike' this week in hopes to teach my many offspring a lesson or two.  For those of you who didn't know that....well I did.  In the midst of a simple request of asking a couple of the boys to load the dishwasher and meeting total resistance, I decided this mom does way too much for her many offspring.  So the thought sprung into my mind while I was trying to not lose my cool and before putting ANY thought into the idea, I spewed out those words, "I'm going on strike."  (no cooking, cleaning or laundry for a week)  And all of you moms know that when you say something like that you'd better mean it.  So the can of worms was opened and I HAD to follow through.
This all started on Monday noonish when we had a day off from school.  I'm sure you know what I'm talking about when I say 'total resistance'.  If not, this is what it looks like:  "WHAT??"  "Why??"  "Why do I have to do that?"  "Why doesn't 'other brother' have to?"  "Why can't you do it?"  "I did it last time".  The list could go on.  I don't know about you but I'm sure tired of hearing all that.  The thought has crept in my mind the last few months that 'kids only do what they get away with'.  So apparently, they've been getting away with this (ehem) and I've tolerated it so they keep on doing it.  **sigh**
My purpose of my 'strike' was to make them realize how much we do for them and for them to acknowledge that and to appreciate it.  Also to realize that all the extra activities that we allow them to participate in are not 'birth rights'.  Those activities are privileges and can at any moment cease to exist.  (along with electronics)   I think this generation of kids just think that this busyness is what life is.  Going, going, going and doing, doing and doing.  We allow so much to go on in their lives that when you happen to have a day/weekend at home they don't know how to keep themselves busy.  They think they are bored when they actually lack the ability to entertain themselves (w/o electronics).  We don't allow time for them to 'just be kids'.  I've noticed that when they do have 'nothing to do' they are more 'peaceful' in a sense.  (I'm talking several hours of nothing to do, not days on end)
I know we can't mold these boys overnight.  It is a process and takes many 'bloops, bleeps and blunders'.  Some of you might think I was crazy for taking on such a thing of being on strike.  But isn't the sacrifice of your house possibly being in disarray worth the change for the better in your offspring?  You shouldn't fear that your house will be a disaster at the end of it.  There are consequences for that!!    These kids are worth the sacrifice!!  I told myself that I'd have to suck it up for a week.  And this morning that is what I  had to do.  That was after I lost my cool though.  They mostly loaded the dishwasher last night but didn't finish.  So this morning I made them finish it.  Then while I was looking at the dishes I noticed they didn't even rinse them out and they had dried food left on them or milk in the bottoms of the glasses.  I don't know about anyone else's dishwasher, but mine does not have little magic scrubbers in it to clean those kind of dirty dishes.  Reflecting back, I should have just let them wash them like that and then showed them after school how dirty they still were.  But no, I had to show them my ding dang attitude that I keep telling them to keep (theirs) contained.  They received a loud lesson on rinsing their dishes after they use them.  And I really wonder where they get that attitude?  **sigh**

So the 'striker' mom is still holding out.  My youngest offspring told his grandma that "my mom is a striker, can I come to your house? Unless you are a striker too?"  I think that poor boy was worried about what kind of food he would be fed since I wasn't cooking!

I'll be back in a few days to give you an update!!