The other day, our son, affectionately referred to as our “cellar dweller”, came home from his job and was detailing his activity.  He currently works, part time as the Affordable Care Act makes it impossible to work full time in so many places, at a local pizza delivery establishment.  He is technically a driver, but in the down times he is expected to make pizzas, run to the grocery store, wash dishes, clean restrooms, etc, etc, etc.  The washing and cleaning are especially true if he opens or closes for that day.  As he is detailing his work shift to us, he is exasperated by the fact that other people that work there apparently have no idea how to clean!  Yes – he is irritated that when it is his turn to clean the bathroom, the staff member who did it last didn’t do such a great job.  And how does he know this is true?  Because when he was the last staff member to clean, he says there is very little to actually clean up – more of just tidying up.  This from a 20 year old male…. who dwells in our cellar… and doesn’t clean his own bathroom. What is wrong with this story?

 

Well – you might say the obvious is wrong!

 

He doesn’t clean his own bathroom.  And you would be correct… but there is something else that is wrong here and it just points to the changes we can see all around us.  Changes in our personal lives. And the ultimate effect it is having in our society.

 

Cleaning.  Who does this anymore?

Not me!  I can’t stand it!  

 

BUT!!!!

 

I know HOW to clean.  I know how to give my house “a lick and a promise”, how to “clean” and how to “deep clean”.  I would venture to say that these things are a dying skill.  At least to the average person.  Today, we hire it done. I mean, who has time to clean…. ? Well, technically I do – but it really messes with my health.  That is my excuse and I am sticking to it!

 

I did teach our children to clean, including the cellar dweller.  And, in fact, I have always said that our boys were better cleaners than our girls.  They each have their own system – which mind you is NEVER how mom wants it done.  Just ask them!

 

This “people have no idea how to clean” led me in my musings to think about the fact that we are churning out generations that have no idea how to do a number of basic life tasks.  We are reinforcing the behavior that everything has an app, or can be hired out to an agency, or thrown away.  Don’t believe me?  

 

Ask yourself these questions:

 

• When a household item breaks, who fixes it? If it is you, did you teach anyone else how to fix it as well? We used to rip those things apart, find the malfunctioning part, replace it and put it back together again.
• The oil needs to be changed in my car, the brakes need to be replaced, a flat needs to be changed…do you do these tasks or call AAA or drive through Jiffylube (no endorsements here!)? These things used to happen in our garages and driveways.
• The yard needs to be mowed. Do you head out in your mowing shoes and get the job done or hire a lawn service?  We used to ALL do this task ourselves, and it was one of the first jobs kids learned how to do around the house.
• Taking your work shirts to the dry cleaner?  What’s up with that…. you have a washer and dryer? Oh I know, you have no idea how to iron that blasted thing!
• Who scrubs the toilet, vacuums the steps, washes the windows.  This was always a task done by the family. Now we hire a cleaning lady.
• It is time to eat, who is actually cooking dinner?  Not a bowl of cereal or a box of mac and cheese… but dinner with more than one item that goes on your plate.  Let alone, sit at the table. That is another whole blog topic! And what is the deal with new house builds with these huge kitchens that NO ONE cooks in?

 

Don’t misunderstand me…. I am guilty of most of the above.  Except the dry cleaning and the cleaning lady… had one once and I had to clean before she came and after she left, so that was useless!  

 

My point is this….

 

So many “household” and “family” tasks, everyday “living” things, actually do so much more than just accomplish the task.  They teach us other things as well. We learn to do a job with excellence, or we get to do it again.  We learn to complete tasks instead of leaving them unfinished.  What good is your car with the oil pan sitting on the driveway?  We learn that it is good to maintain our living space or it won’t last as long. We learn that someone has to clean that mess in the bathroom – and we should know what that is like in order to learn respect. Dinner, at home, teaches us community, heritage, MANNERS, if nothing else.  

 

Sometimes, the old way of doing things has more value than the new way.  We say that we don’t have the time to do these chores – but we have the same 24 hours our parents and grandparents had, so at times I think that is an excuse rather than a reason.

 

I am not suggesting that we give up all our “luxuries”, but rather that we look at what our families are learning or not learning by the choices that we make to outsource our tasks.  We have a whole generation that has to take a college course on table etiquette as it applies to job interviews that might involve lunch.  Where were their parents?  We have kids sharing apartments who have no idea how to wash a dish, or load/unload a dishwasher.  I don’t get it!

 

Cleaning is a lost art –  as are a lot of other “chore” type things in our lives.  The by product of this is a generation who has an incomplete understanding of what it takes to actually accomplish life tasks.  This makes them insensitive to those who do manage these tasks. This makes them more and more self centered.  Self centeredness…. well, we don’t have time to discuss that today!

 

Teach your kids to clean.  
And, I just don’t get the dry cleaning of your shirts……