Tuesday, July 21, 2009

this is not your closet



I don't know how laundry duties break down at your house, but this is the general arrangment we have.

Me: Sort laundry, wash laundry, hang or dry laundry, fold laundry, sort laundry back into personal stacks.

Daughter: Put own laundry away.

This seems like a pretty equitable division. I hang her clothes on the bathroom curtain rod, and then I expect her to put them away. However, it seems like my daughter thinks that the bathroom has become her own personal closet. This is our recent interchange as she stood looking at her clothes in the bathroom.

Me: This is not your closet.

Her: (sweet, innocent face) Hmmm?

Me: This is not your closet.

Her: (still so sweet) It's not?

Me: (exhibiting my most stern face) No. It's not.

Her: (still the sweet smile you can't get mad at) Which should I wear today? This one? (shake of a hangered piece of clothing) Or this one? (shake of another hangered piece of clothing)

Me: (supressing amused grin) How about you take them all upstairs and put them away and then decide?


Her: (putting the two pieces back on the rod and continuing to peruse) I think I like this one. (smile as she passes me with ONE piece of clothing)


I shrugged, shut the door after her, locked it, and began to use the bathroom for the purpose it was designed.

Suddenly there was a frantic banging at the door.

Her: (in such a desperate, horrified tone it was completely credible) Mother . . . Mother! What are you doing? You're not going to the bathroom in my closet are you?

Sigh.



3 comments:

Riss said...

No one uses the shower, anyway. Come on, Mom. It's not her fault you didn't build a closet in her bedroom!

lichelle said...

You've got a point. However, she already uses your sister's old bedroom as a closet. And I mean the WHOLE BEDROOM! Remember?

Unknown said...

I can just hear the "innocent" voice you speak of.