Mean Mommy!

I have been getting that phrase a lot lately! This summer we are still adjusting and one way they are still adjusting is the chores that are expected of them each day. I am not a slave driver, but I do expect them to help out around the house. There are six of us living here and we accumulate lots of stuff. Everyone needs to help out! There are a lot of things I want to teach my boys and one is responsibility. I don't want my boys to grow up, get married and think their wife is responsible for the house work. I don't want my boys to be lazy and sloppy. I want them to take care of the stuff, not just expect someone else will or someone else will buy them a new one if it gets ruined. So, yes, I guess you can say I am a mean mom. I expect more from my boys then most moms, but I don't want my boys just to be like everyone else! This leads back to my story. The past couple of days they have given me the usual age appropriate push back about chores. Yesterday though hit a all time high and I told them last night that I was over it and I expected no complaining tomorrow. They woke up and as I was getting their breakfast I told them to put their clothes away (which by the way, I washed, folded and put up in their room). Noah and Owen headed upstairs and the grumbling and fighting with each other started. Noah came downstairs and said "I am done! He won't help!" I went upstairs and Owen was being dramatic (which is a new thing with him) and the clothes that were put away already was done very poorly. I mean it was like they threw everything in a draw and then threw the shirts in their closet. I have been reminding them to do it right or they will have to do it over. At this point I was over all of this so I calmly (I did not do this in a rage) emptied their drawers and dumped them on the floor. I then proceeded into their closest and pulled down all their shirts. They look on their faces was shock! Then came the anger! "MOM! YOU ARE THE MEANEST MOM EVER! I AM NOT CLEANING THIS UP! I AM GOING TO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE! I DON'T LOVE YOU!!!!" YOU ARE SO MEAN!!" I told them I was tired of the poor attitudes and having them not do their chores right so they would be cleaning up this mess with any free moments they get. (They have camp all day and baseball tonight, so I expect the mess to be there for awhile.) Again they yelled "YOU ARE SO MEAN!!" At this point Connor came over to me and said in a very sweet voice "Mommy! I love you so much!" Yeah, he knew not to make me mad and was trying to win some brownie points! By the time they left for camp they were no longer mad at me and apologized. I think they believe I will clean the mess up while they are at camp, but nope....it is still there! I guess I am still a mean mom! One day I hope there wives read this post and thank me for being the meanest mom in the whole world!