Cleaning House, by Kay Wills Wyma

I got this book on audio from the library out of mild curiosity, and so I could put a review of it on Blogging for Books.  It didn't take long for me to smile along with Kay, thinking "Kelly has got to hear this!"  Then she mentioned that she lives in Dallas--a fellow Texan!  Then she mentioned that she went to Baylor--a fellow Bear!  I decided I need to buy this book for Kelly!

But the Texas-Baylor kindredness I felt with Kay was just the beginning.  Kay, mother of 5 kids, came to realize that her kids were spoiled and had a sense of entitlement, and worse, that she was their enabler!  So she birthed a one-year experiment in which each month she would add a skill or focus for them to build on, in hopes of building independent, self-sufficient, and unselfish kids.  The resulting book, Cleaning House: A Mom's 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement, will make you laugh while challenging and inspiring you.

Her initial list of goals is worth reproducing here, her "Top Twelve Things a Kid Should Know Before Flying the Wyma Coop."

1. how to make a bed and maintain an orderly room
2. how to cook and clean a kitchen
3. how to do yard work
4. how to clean a bathroom
5. how to get a job . . . outside our home
6. how to do laundry
7. how to do handyman jobs
8. how to host a party
9. how to work together
10. how to run errands
11. how to put others first through service
12. how to act mannerly

I figured the litle ones in my house (and the big ones, for that matter) could benefit from learning or brushing up on these skills.  Cleaning House started out as a blog for Kay's friends to read, with some input from guest bloggers and friends.  The book retains some of the breezy, folksy tone you might expect from such a blog, but has very practical tips and strategies for teaching kids life skills.  I came to admire her persistence, her kids' attitudes, and her honesty.  They are a bunch of kids, after all, so every "suggestion" wasn't met with enthusiastic glee.  But, as you might expect, by the end of the tasks and by the end of the year-long project, they seemed to have grown closer.  I think she reveals a simple truth: a cleaner, more orderly, and  less selfish household takes a little work, but the benefits to the family relationships are worth every second of effort.

I was a little surprised by the small role Dad takes in this story.  He makes a few cameo experiences, especially around the handyman and work together projects, but mostly he's the guy who spends his life at work, while Mom runs the household.  I'm guessing this is just the reality in their life, but I couldn't help wondering if he really was as tangentially involved in all of this as it seemed.

Pick up Cleaning House, take on some of the projects and challenges that Kay's family took on.  I think your family will be better for it!

Kay blogs at themoatblog.com