Cleaning House: A Mom's Twelve-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement

I use to be one of those entitled bratty kids they are try to change in this book. My mom trying to be a good mom sheltered, hovered, and pretty much did everything for me. This was fine until I got into my early teens, when I began to hate her for all the things she did for me. I became suicidal even though I kept it hidden pretty well, and even once tried to go through with it. Like I said, my mom wasn't a bad person nor was she trying to be, but what she did (still tries to do) didn't help me become a better person.The first step in any journey is always the hardest. I guess it helped some that I'm naturally curious and independent, but not all that much. It all started after what I like to call my suicidal period. I was bored one night searching the web and found a social site. I am very very very lucky, because I agreed to see some people online. Thankfully the were good encouraging people who helped me see I wasn't nothing, and encouraged me to do something with my life. I first tried to get into nursing, but I didn't have the maturity or social skills to handle it. I ended up in a theripist office, because I couldn't work as a team player. Then it hit me - I am seeing this as I want it to be, not what is. This is when my journey began.The journey to become a better person is almost like walking through the mud. It took two years, before I had the WILL do try to reach for something better again. All the while, I was at home sitting on my crosse (look up this word in french) all the time. I was still as miserable as ever, my pride was hurt, and I felt powerless. It is a aweful feeling for a young adult to have, and my uselessness constantly hung around me like heavy coulds.I finally did get enough of those feelings, and despite my mother's wishes errolled in college. When I took the placement test I made alomst perfect on the compass in reading and writting. Even though I had to take special classes for math, I did something no one in the history at the college has done; I completed beginning math, beginning algebra, and intermediate algebra in 1 semester! Now, I have a 3.5 going into pharmacy school, I have taken up the violin, I drive a car, and I don't think about suicide anymore. I think of the future, and how I can make a difference. This wouldn't have been possible without self reflection.I would like to conclude - I started to read this book as a reference guide to who I was, and who I have become. I wrote this reveiw to encourage parents to encourage their kids to be independent. I wrote this review, because I believe people reading this need to hear from a kid who had everything material they could want, but was hateful toward it all. This book has had one of the most accurate psycological stand points of the inner dynamic of the tween/teenage mind. I still have my set backs in trying to veiw what I can do in a encouraging way; however, I had the will to be independent. If I wasn't born with a natural drive, I wouldn't be here to talk about my story. Just for reference - my mother still hasn't changed, she still says everyday she wishes for me to come home, she hints everyday it would be easier to give up on my dreams, and she tells me she does x, y and z for me because she isn't sure I can do it. I'm now 23 years old, and I know she means well, but deep down I still resent her for her way of thinking.Please don't be my mom, I promise even if you seem mean now when they get older they will understand.

This is an awesome book! I actually found a link to the book when I began researching the net about child entitlement. I had noticed to my dismay that my own children were acting as if the world owed them something. A quote from my daughter..."Mom, I am your precious child..you are SUPPOSED to do things for me. That is just the way it works.". I did not know what I had done to lead her to believe this way.Wyma helped me to see that I had inadvertently been responsible (at least in part) for my children's misguided beliefs. In our society we tend to do things for our children to either make it go faster, make sure it is done right the first time, to give them time for all the stuff we involve them in (such as sports, scouts, etc), or because we want them to be happy. They are capable of much more than we give them credit for. We just have to let them have the opportunity to show us what they can do.Some of her ideas will not work with really small children (like my 3 and 5 year olds) but she acknowledges that as she has a 4 year old herself. However there are ways to tweak each lesson to fit the abilities of your child(ren) and she encourages the reader to do whatever works best in that family.I would recommend this book to any parent who wants to raise independent children who cannot only take care of themselves as adults but are able to care for others in a selfless manner as well.I have seen some reviews that were not as favorable putting the book down because of the author's station in life. I will admit I am very similar to her. I live in a middle to upper middle class suburb (although my city is a mid-size city not a large one like Dallas). One of my 3 kids attends a local private school (the other 2 have special needs that make public schooling a better place for them). I do not see any of this as a bad thing. A person who does not have the financial means for some of her suggestions can tweak the suggestions to fit their budget...like maybe a quarter a day instead of a dollar. There are always more frugal ways to do things. Just because she can provide her children with these things does not make the advice any less worthy of time and attention. She even encourages you to do these things in budget..after all that is the lesson she is trying to teach her children.To those who say there is too much of a christian emphasis in the book...Well, it is a christian book. It never claims to be anything else. The advice is still good advice whether the scripture she basis it on is used or not. I happen to like that she backs up what she is doing with her kids with God's word. Again, it is made clear in description that this is a christian book!

Being a mother of three girls one being 18 the second 15 and the third 6 I found this book fascinating.I think most mums juggle work and home life and personally I have always done too much for the children to save myself time and also because I loved looking after them. I have watched the Duggers from America who have 19 children and it was on their website that I originally saw the book. The Duggers involve their children in everything they do and use every day things to teach them a lesson on how to do things.It dawned on me that I have missed a great opportunity with my eldest two children, the oldest who is going to uni and who wouldn't know how to use a washing machine, iron well, or cook. 90% of the arguments I have had over the years with her are because of her untidy room and I am sure most parents would feel the same. I am also a fan of Anthony Robbins and in one of his CDs he says that you need to get things to become a habit and then you do them automatically. I think this is very true and although I want the children to have carefree childhoods, by getting them into good habits, they will automatically do actions which will be useful in later life without having to think.I will be trying to get my 15 year old into good habits, and my 6 year old is already doing little things herself and thoroughly enjoying it.The author of this book has children of various ages and it suddenly dawns on her that she is not helping her children by doing everything for them. It explains how she gets them involved in everyday chores etc and the book has a lot of humour in it too. I would highly recommend this book .

This book is a breath of fresh air for any parent wanting to improve their child's awareness of real life!We tried the authors idea, substituting dollars for 10p' s and found success straight away. Our children have thoroughly enjoyed learning to cook simple things and are even showing enthusiasm for gardening!!!!!The author has approached a somewhat difficult notion that many parents indulge their children, and tactfully suggested ways to teach values and skills that the child can take pride in. A good read.

Kay Wills Wyma is a terrific, candid and humorous writer that has written about her experiment with her five children to rid them of their entitlement issues (what parent couldn't use a little of that). She outlines in a very relatable way the role parents play in the development of these issues but more importantly, explains how she successfully tackled them! And it was fun to read!For a longer review, check the one I wrote on my blog at buddingwisdom.wordpress.comHighly recommend this book to every parent.

This was a fantastic book --it changed the way I parent. My kids do chores now and contribute way better than before. This is a book that is so good you'll read it twice.

Es geht nicht nur um den Haushalt. Aber der ist die Kampfarena, in der sich am deutlichsten zeigt, ob man sich eine anspruchsvolle Herrschaft herangezogen hat, die von der Mama-Dienstmagd zufrieden gestellt werde möchte.Mit amüsanten Anekdoten über das Anspruchsdenken ihrer Kinder unterhält die Autorin, beschreibt ihren Plan und ihre Schritte das Anspruchsdenken abzuschaffen und macht damit Lust das auch gleich in der eigenen Familie zu tun. Für eine amerikanische christliche Autorin übrigens ziemlich unaufdringlich christlich. Ich denke, das kann jeder lesen ohne sich auf den Schlips getreten zu fühlen.