When Creative Minds Aren't That Appreciated

If your kids are anything like ours (which I'm guessing that they are) they will get out of doing chores at every opportunity. Cleaning their rooms are one of the worst punishments that we can impose upon them. The irony is that it's clearly their mess and not the fact that I'm asking them to clean up after the rest of the family. Or maybe that's what makes it worse. I always find it amusing (kind of) that I'll happily clean a friend's home, but loathe the very same chores in my own home. Apparently kids are no different in that respect.

So the other day Luke was told to clean his room because the path through the forest no longer existed. He disappeared for a while into the depths of hte house, avoiding parental contact. We assumed that he was making headway on his room, as he'd been told. Silly us.

When it was realized that he'd chosen to disobey, he was confronted about it. He claimed that he forgot. Actually, his verbatim response was, "I can't help it if I have short term memory loss."

That boy is destined to become a lawyer. He has an answer to everything, and one that can't truly be argued with.

16 comments:

ClumberKim said...

Sounds like Luke pays attention when he watches Finding Nemo!

Karen Deborah said...

ummm how about, "Next time you have short term memory loss you can clean your room and Micah's too" Two jobs can help you to remember one.

and your right, he could be a lawyer. My questions are all about teenagers. the little kid thing is pretty easy for me NOW, it wasn't then. But teenagers?

I know nothing.

Michelle said...

Does Mommy ever develop short term memory loss? Perhaps about something he cares about? Or am I the only mean mommy? :) Gotta love the creativity at least!

Kimberly Wright said...

Very creative. The mommy here has the longest memory ever and does not forget anything. My poor kids.

the planet of janet said...

i'm with michelle. i have been known to mimic some of my kids' -- ahem -- best qualities.

it usually works.

until their short-term memory loss kicks in.

The Sports Mama said...

The sad thing at our house is that the kid in question really DOES have that issue. *sigh*

HalfAsstic.com said...

OOOOOOOH, yes. That Luke is a sly one. ;-) But don't tell him he's no slyer than any other boy his age.
And isn't it true that it's SO much better cleaning someone else's house than your own! I'd even call it fun, if it's a close girlfriend.
Why? Why? Why? (....so unfair....)

KG said...

Start telling him NOT to go to law school now!

Viv said...

Heh! I haven't heard that one...at least not yet.

Trisha said...

I wish I had thought of that when I was a child and tried to avoid cleaning MY room! Interestingly, my room was always messy and when I went to college, I became a neat-freak of a sort (I am not totally over the top!) and I still keep things pretty neat. Weird, huh?

Flea said...

What a stinker! Does sound like my kids ...

Cecily R said...

Holy CRUMBS Karen, Isaac has said that exact same fib!!!!!!! And I do recognize the creativity and humor...but I also recognize that he's a stink.

Glad to know I'm not the only one dealing with this stuff. :)

Unknown said...

I have heard many a comments just like that from my kids. Really? I bet if I used that when I forget to pick them up from school it just wouldn't fly :)

JennyH said...

Yes, I think our kids are alike! Clean up after themselves?? The nerve of mom even asking!

Krista said...

I tell my kids that they only have to pick up the toys they want to keep and I'll take care of the rest. When my teens were young I had a "mad bag" and if their toys ended up there they would have to do a chore for me to get it back. Works like a charm. ;-)

I am a Tornado ~ proven fact! said...

Same at my house!

EXACTLY the same.

My WildChild has the creative answers, my ShowStopper well she just gets into the Zone and there is no knowing whether or not she truly heard the command.

Good Luck with that one and his 'lawyer-ism' tendacies.