For quite some time (years even)I have been attempting to get Dylan to clean his room to no avail. It has been one of THOSE battles. His attitude towards getting it done was one I was not willing to fight against...at least not in the sense of making him stay in his room till it's clean, can't play when he gets home because his room isn't clean, etc.
Recently, I had had enough and I gave him one week to clean his room. I told him if he didn't clean it I would (and he would lose his stuff permanently). Of course, despite the fact I even went into his room with him to help on at least one occasion, he did not clean his room. Not even close. I was not looking forward to doing the job myself and taking all his stuff and I have been rather busy so despite the time being up, I didn't do anything with his room.
Dylan mentioned to me more than once about my not cleaning his room and I told him that at any point now it's fair game and I will get to it. Twice in the last week he told me he'd clean it and on Wednesday even said cross his heart(lol). Both times I mentioned to him what he said on that day, he just said "hmm." (He says he cleaned Wednesday, but I couldn't tell it.)
Within the last few days, God gave me the idea of not doing Dylan's room myself, but rather only do part and do the stuff that is the most important to him. I told him a couple of days ago that was what I was going to do. This morning I walked in his room and grabbed the kite he had on his desk. Then I grabbed the "jacket" I had told him to hang up. Under it was another couple of things that didn't belong there. Finally, the hardest one for me was there was a container on the floor with a bunch (20+) cars of his.
God had specifically told me to get rid of it today. That way there would be no argument and/or ability for him to get them back. I "just happened" to be going to a get together today at a friend's house. I took the kite, cars, and cap with me and gave them to a woman I know who has 2 boys. When Dylan got home, I told him what had taken place. He not only handled it extremely well, he was VERY diligent in cleaning his room. So much so, that I told him I would not take anything from his room today.
We talked a little about how my issue isn't his messy room, but the refusal to clean it. As long as he's diligent in getting it clean then I am more than happy to work with him. Once he gets it clean, then we'll have to come up with something for him to keep it that way. For right now, I am just ecstatic that his room is getting clean without me being the one doing it AND without fighting him to get it done!
THANK YOU JESUS!
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