A POSITIVE TOUCH

                I guess you could say that I am a clean freak.  I like to have things clean and organized.   Unfortunately my children do not share this desire.  It seems that they do not care if our house is clean or organized.  If they had their way, we would live in a cluttered home.

                How can I convince them of the benefits of having a clean and organized home?  Let’s see…I could yell and scream.  Maybe ground them or take away privileges.  I could discuss all the benefits that would come with a clean and organized home; such as being able to find things easier or possibly having your things last longer because they are being taken care of.   I could bribe them.  Yet that could get expensive.  I think the best solution would be to smother them with positivity.

                One day when I came home from work, I proceeded to pick at all the things that were not done around the home.  My daughter turned to me and said “You never notice the things we do.  You only get upset about what we have not done.”  This helped me realize that I was not showing gratitude for the things that they were doing for me.  Since that day, I have really tried to look for the good.  It’s not easy, but it is worth it.  We would all have better relationships if we look for the positive rather than looking for the negative.