Okay, I can see a stick. Now what?
In our Grown and Flown Parents Group, a post was shared from a mom who was tired of arguing with her teenage son about cleaning his room. She decided to sprinkle black rice in his room to make it look like mice droppings.
Another mom in the group responded with this:
"I just want to thank whoever posted about the mouse and black rice. I owe you big time. I'm having my house painted this week and I was sick of being mortified of my 18 yo sons room!
I am awful but I texted him and told him the painter just swore he saw a mouse and there’s droppings. He comes home and he was so upset and grossed out that he cleaned his room for four hours.
Leaves and texts me he is so sorry he will be mopping the floor in there and he will find it. If I wasn’t so happy and just got all my cups and spoons back I might feel a little guilty.
Oh and his sister is still cleaning her room because she doesn’t want it to come in her room next.
Here’s a pic of my work- left it by the sand from his work boots and in the corner of the room and his closet.
I know I’m going to hell.
Shared with permission from Keri Maddalone
Mothers, exasperated by their sons’ uncleanliness, introduced the following trick:
Tell your son, a visitor has seen a mouse running around in your place;
Disperse some black rice in his room.
As a result, the son devotes several hours to cleaning up his place!
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Does that remind you of something? The muzzles? The hand-washing ritual?
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This time, you ARE the MOUSE!
Brilliant! Love the analogy - invisible as a virus 😂
Sad lesson: can't trust one's mother.