Yesterday I made a decision that we were going to order pizza for supper instead of me cooking. I used the time to pick up the living room. It is still dusty and needing the vacuum, but the floor and furniture are clear of debris and it actually looks peaceful. It also feels peaceful to go in there right now. MC said, "wow Mommy, you cleaned up!" She seemed very happy about it. She also made a point of showing me how she put some toys she had brought into the living room back in the play room when she had finished with them. I praised her big-time for that. Then she started saying how her room is really messy and she should clean it up. This morning she said she thought the playroom would never get cleaned up. I told her it definitely would. Now that we have the living room clean, we can keep it clean and then work our way into the playroom. In fact, my next living space to organize after my desk is going to be the playroom. I picked it because I know having that room as an enticing place to play will make a big impact on the neatness of the living room and the dining room. Those rooms have become alternate play areas since the playroom has probably less than 4 square feet of total empty floor space. Walking through it is definitely like going through an obstacle course!
I am encouraged that MC is noticing my efforts and independently expressing interest in helping me keep things neat, as well as that she might actually care about the clutter. I had thought that no one else cared about it in the family. It will certainly help me to stay on track with an ally like her.
