Household Pet Peeves.
They say that laughter is the best medicine, right?
Well–Guess what else is works pretty darned well?
A good ole’ complaint session, that’s what.
This isn’t something I do too often. Hopefully you know by now that I’m actually a pretty positive person who puts up with all kinds of craziness for the love of a happy family life.
But lest you think that living in Hawaii means that there are no problems…and that my little grass shack is all sunshine and rainbows, I think a little honest sharing may not be all bad. With four kids mostly always home (or out finding more sand to drag back into the house,) this can be a crowded, sometimes cluttered little grass shack. And though I require everyone to kick in with jobs and chores, in the end–Mom is usually the one to carry the load, isn’t she? (Yes. Just say yes.)
So I decided that a little list of household pet peeves might make for a productive educational therapeutic midweek post.
And if nothing else, it might help me feel like I’m not alone. (No pressure, but that means you better comment!)
The great thing about pet peeves is that yours are not necessarily mine, and mine are most likely not yours. I feel like I might have more than the average person, and for that I feel bad. I talked to my friend Judy today (who is more saint than human,) and she could only think of ONE household pet peeve. One. And I was like, Oh man, I must be awful.
Because I’m actually just sharing my short list.
HERE’S MY LIST, BY CATEGORY. And I’m really hoping you’ll chime in at the end.
LAUNDRY:
Clothes going into the laundry bin INSIDE-OUT.
(OR even worse)…Pants going into my laundry with one leg inside out, and one leg right side in.
My rule: However a piece of laundry goes INTO the basket is how it will go into your clean basket.
The one leg right side in and one leg inside out trick is punishable by death, or at least expect for your crazy twisted up pants to be returned to you in the same condition. Have fun with that.
Clothes placed in laundry bin with a belt still attached.
There must be a punishment suitable to this crime.
Clothes placed next to, but not inside of, the laundry bin.
Someone please explain…No, don’t.
Clean clothes placed in laundry bin just because someone is too lazy to put them in their drawers.
KITCHEN/PANTRY:
Anything put back into the fridge with 1 tablespoon of substance left in it. (Because a gallon milk jug with a teaspoon of milk left would be just too difficult to finish off, and place in the recycle bin, right? right!) Or an Ice cream carton put back into the freezer with exactly one bite left for the next guy. (Psych!)
Anything put in the fridge without proper covering, sealing, etc. For example: Half a sandwich, on a plate. A dish of spaghetti with no cover. Or (recently, not kidding.) a partially eaten bowl of cereal, sitting in the fridge.
I get so confused.
THE WORST is beverages being placed in a glass in the refrigerator without secure covering. One bump from an unsuspecting fridge guest and just like that, smoothie spills all over refrigerator-kingdom-come, into every nook and cranny available.
And my day is over.
Pantry: Chips, crackers, cereal, (etc.) put away, wide open. Here in Hawaii that is an invitation to ants (or worse, but let’s not go there,) but at the very least food will go stale, or once again, fall victim to a bump causing a spill all over pantry-kingdom-come.
And my day is done.
CUPBOARDS, CLOSETS, ANYTHING WITH DOORS:
DEAR FAMILY: Why is it so hard to close things!? Every cupboard, closet, and drawer left open. All day long. Open open open. Do only moms see these things!?
LIVING ROOM:
TV remote stuck in between cushions of the couch. (I’m kinda guessing that is unique to my weird family?)
TV remote missing completely. (found it in the fridge once.)
Dirty socks wadded up and found on coffee table, couch, and etc. GROSS.
Other random items left in living room on a daily basis: Papers. Books. Wrappers. Shirts. Pants. Nail clippers. Q-tips. (i don’t want to know.)
BATHROOM:
(Do I even need to say it?) TOILET SEAT LEFT UP!?
(and let’s just add,) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!?
words. cannot. even.
Toothpaste lid left off, other related toothpaste/toothbrush messes.
there just is no solution.
(I’m pretty sure this one is NOT normal.) FLOSS. All over!? (yes.) The man I share a bed with has great oral hygiene, and I respect him for that. However, flossing in various locations around the house–for example while sitting in my bed (!) is not sexy. And further, leaving used floss in various locations around the house, is high on the pet-peeve list.
Towels dropped on the floor rather than hung to dry,
OR
Towels hung up, but in a big wad which, if left, will take approximately 14.6 years to dry. (especially in humid Hawaii.)
So now…I think I ought to sign off before I start on to the car, the patio, kid’s bedrooms, or…
Because–Enough is enough…
**And we all know…I’d put up with this stuff for the rest of my life if I could keep these guys with me forever. (except the floss. We really need to do something about that, don’t we?)
And I think I feel better already! Thanks for being there for me Friends!
I hope you’ll leave a comment. You might offer me brilliant solutions to my profound pet peeves, or leave one of your own! (Just remember to please keep the tone fun and respectful to your family. :)) I can’t wait!
And please do pin and share so your friends can join the fun.
With Aloha,
Monica
PS More for Moms; 25 Things a Mom needs most (printable version.)
and more random things about me? Sure–My birthday edition– “Dirty Truth” post.
This morning, my 20-y-o son (the MMA fighter with perpetually dirty feet from the gym mats) called me on my cell phone at 7:25a. If my ringer had been on, and I had been awake, I might have been concerned. As it was, I did not get the notification until I was at work, after 10 a.m. I texted him, “Whazzup?”
He replied: “Needed a towel, but I used the guest one.”
Yes, I know. I saw it when I went into the bathroom at 8:31 a.m. Then, I had to stop getting ready for work, immediately take the (white) guest towel to the laundry room, and replace it with the clean blue towel (with my son’s monogram on it!), that was just outside the bathroom, ready for the rack.
This is a common occurrence in our house. Granted, we don’t always have guests, but when we do, I’d like them to have a clean towel to use! Sometimes, I just take them all down and hide them, so no one will use them. Because if they’re hanging there, they are fair game.
My son knew these are off-limits; when I sent him an angry, swearing emoji, he texted me back: “LOL.”
Aargh!
One of my biggest is how the dishwasher is loaded, esp when things that everyone has been told are NOT dishwasher safe… keep. Getting. Put. In. The. Freaking. Dishwasher! Oh and dishes with huge gross food blobs that I have to keep cleaning the dang nasty filter cause they are too lazy to either rinse or knock food off a plate! It’s not hard and takes seconds!
– dishes /pans getting put away wrong…… bowls/Tupperware/pans go in Big, medium, small… ya know, the way toddlers learn with their little nesting games?! Not rocket science! How bloody lazy can you be…. yes, sometimes this means you have to actually slide the bowl out, lift something up, and put the item in, and replace the Item you lifted up.. Not. Freaking. Complicated! and yet despite communicating this with everyone, over and over and over and over and over…….I keep finding Giant bowl, on top of small bowl, on top of medium bowl…. gah!! Not to mention this is how glass bowls break! Yet I’m the irrational one cause it pisses me off and I’m “over reacting” …… not when I’ve used up a life time of “calmly educating” people how it should freaking go over the last 9 years! (I have step kids that are 14 and 18 and a husband… lived with the 14 year old since she was 5 full time and the 18 year old since she was 13….. and the hubby for a decade).
– food particles in my kitchen sponge or dish wand……Left all soaking wet.. ewwww!!!! gross! hello bacteria!! RINSE IT OFF when you are done!!! and squeeze that sucker. And put It back on the little shelf thing it lives on so it can air dry off. Simple. Problem solved! Why oh why oh why does this keep happening week after bloody week?! How freaking hard is it?!
Gahhhhhh!!! Sorry. Those have got to be my top list of pet peeves. How crap gets put in the fridge is up there though too, I’m not sure if I’d classify it as a full on pet peeve like the others are..
Thanks for the vent session.. I do find it rather therapeutic lol 🙂
Litter – does this stuff just fall OFF them?! Sticky drips left to dry. The hand towel in the bathroom on the floor. Blobs of toothpaste in the sink, drying into gooey cement. GAK melted into carpet – no, there is no remedy or hack. Inside out wadded socks … I can’t wash them that way. ICan’t. Water bottles EVERYWHERE and they belong to NOBODY. Oh … so many! But I love the little freaks 😊💜
Yes and yes. And you can leave it there to see if anyone grows an awareness that it should be put away but it will get stood on, pushed aside even played with again and this is not always a toy. You will watch and hope and then start to internally fume and boil and finally in a fit of rage grabbing it sometimes violently in an overreaction and put it where it should have gone. To be asked innocently by your husband if something is wrong to which I have answered (not for the first time) that as the only female in the house I am conscious of the mess and disorder in detail and clarity of which you will never truly understand or appreciate. It is sometimes why I seem to nag and often the reason why I go to bed last. You are not alone in this Monica but probably feel it more being the one female in a house of five men. Breathe (though not too deeply..those used socks can be pretty intense… 😉
My very laid-back hubby has ONE pet peeve: doors/drawers left open or partially closed. The rest of your list is mine. Literally nothing about the house being in disarray bugs him. And he used to be guilty of the whole list. I couldn’t get “payback ” but one way. One weekend I went to spend a couple of days with my parents. Before leaving , I opened EVEry cupboard, closet, bedroom, cabinet door and drawer in our house. I giggled knowing he would not be able to rest until he had closed them all. That was 23 years and many happy messes ago.
You could have been writing about my family! Such a fun post to read. 🙂
“And we all know…I’d put up with this stuff for the rest of my life if I could keep these guys with me forever.” I echo this sentiment for my crew!
It was fun reading all the comments too. I guess we are all in the same boat!
Amen! And I need to remember my own writing more often I think. Haha. XO Aloha!
I don’t have many pet peeves but can’t stand it when my teenagers don’t flush the toilet!!! Seriously kids, that’s all you wanted to do before you were potty trained 🙂 My other pet peeve is asking them to do the dishes and they load the dishwasher up but don’t start it and then don’t wash the dishes that are to big to fit in the dishwasher…how exactly do you think those will become clean if they aren’t washed?
Amen Sister. I’m with you on all of that! 🙂 XO
you are not alone! My kids are always putting cups in the fridge with their drinks and yes, I have had cereal bowls too. I don’t live near a beach but there is still sand in my house ( I can’t figure this one out) I really love though the empty boxes left in the pantry, that is my favorite in our house. My list can go on and on but I will stop before I wind up aggravating myself. Lol 🙂
As someone who grew up watching Disney Princesses like Cinderella, Snow White, and Belle is really peeves me that I have ZERO help doing my chores. I mean seriously, every time I wastched a movie there were little helpers doing the majority of the chores. And it bugs me to no end that I have to do it all. Of Particular note:
*Laundry that doesn’t fold itself.
*Dishes that don’t auto load into the dishwasher.
*Fridge that doesn’t automatically throw out food that I didn’t eat by the “best by date”.
On a slightly more serious note (the above really does bug me), my summer one applies to my patio and the fact that I am in a bottom floor apartment. My upstairs neighbor is super clumsy. With it being nice I either have the back door open or am actually out on the patio a ton. Which means I hear how many times she drops stuff. Last year she actually spilled a full beer on me while I was reading in my hammock.
*nodding head…YES* the entire time I read this post. I don’t get it either, when they were younger yes. But mine are 13 and 10, I know I say the same thing to them everynight…put your clothes in the hamper-not beside it. Socks, pants & shirts – right side out. If it’s empty, throw it away (always find the empty cracker or cereal boxes in the pantry (WHY?!?) trash is RIGHT THERE!!! One of the worst is when there is something that doesn’t belong on the floor (trash, toy, etc..) they walk on it or over it. LOL – come on just pick it up and put it where it belongs. But I love those two hooligans so so much. Like you, if they stay with me forever…. Thanks for the awesome post!!
I have no family but back when I had a roommates, I had many pet peeves. Now that I live by myself, I’ve developed those exact habits that annoyed me so much… (that was a lesson in humility) but thankfully none of them involve pee or toothpaste globs : )
I do, however, find myself:
-putting dirty dishes on the counter above the empty dishwasher!
-using my dining table as a dumping grounds when I walk in the door (who eats at a table anyway?)
-leaving clean laundry sitting around for days & days & days rather than put it away
-using the vacuum and leaving it in the middle of the floor.
-just generally not putting things away
-etc.
Funny how these things don’t bother me as much when I do them!
Maybe it’s not good for woman to be alone either : ) It might be time to find a roommate and learn to live in community again.
1) The dragging of dirty little hands along the walls as they walk down halls and around corners. Prints everywhere like a crime scene for Pigpen.
2) Clothes dropped on floor next to hamper, not in it. Do they run out of energy every time right there? That final toss was j u s t t o o e x h a u s t i n g?
3) The standing on the rungs of every chair/stool; also rocking back on two legs of dining room chairs. I offered to set up a ladder in the living room but they decided making me crazy is more fun.
4) Globbs of hair in any/every drain. Ok, some of it’s mine, but sometimes it’s a wonder they still have hair on their heads with the weekly amount I pull from the drains.
5) No one eating real food unless I’m home to make it. Seriously, goldfish, baby puffs, and Ritz does not constitute as feeding the kids lunch!
…and they are still my favorite people.
4)
4)
I have to say that I too have all of these pet peeves. My family uses the toothpick flossing things and I find them all around the house! I honestly don’t complain about it because really I’m just glad they are using them. The doors on everything being left open just dumbfounds me! I wonder sometimes if I’m just wired differently. My biggest complaint though is the amount of pee that seems to be on the floor in front of the toilet! (I have 2 boys and a husband)
Sugar container always empty. Really?!?! Only Mama know how to refill this challenging bowl.
Dishes put in sink instead of dishwasher which is right beside the sink.
Recycle bin (compost) overflowing. But person before you pushed in their items. 🙁
Funny story…my hubby bites his fingernails while watching tv and leaves them on the coffee table by the couch. Every morning there is at least one nail waiting for me. Once I had a friend over with her infant & her infant picked a nail off the carpet. We were so grossed out. A few years later I was relaying this story to a friend who said “if my husband looked like yours, I’d let him leave his nails wherever he wanted”. So, perspective, I guess. lol
Amen!! What a great story Heather! 🙂 Love the perspective…
I have to agree with just about all of these! But, I have been tackling 1 pet peeve at a time. Toilet seat and lid left up, I explained to my boys how germs fly 6 feet into the air when they flush, then advised I’d be storing their toothbrushes in the drop zone. Now my lid is always down! As the only girl in the home, I also stopped cleaning the toilet, I promise NONE of the pee on the rim,seat or floor is mine. 2 boys and hubby have to clean it. I’ve seen massive improvement 🙂
Up next the dishwasher, how is it you can reach a bag of chips on the highest shelf but “can’t reach” to put away the mugs 2 Feet lower ????
On a side note, I don’t really watch much TV so if there is a lost remote or 2, not my problem.
Letting go or forcing them to handle gross jobs has really helped me.
Wow this was a great read,I don’t feel alone anymore lol,I changed my name yesterday from mom to maid so this comes just in time,I have all the same exact things happening here but I thought I’d entertain you with some of the worst ones…prepare yourself! My 18 year old lives in the basement and if you can stand the smell,not sure from what…it lingers even after clean I guess it’s a reminder the cleanliness won’t last past him returning in five min to destroy it,drawers open at all times,socks wadded everywhere,trash everywhere,even tho I placed trash cans by his bed,other end of his bed,other side of room just hoping,blankets somehow never on bed I guess he covers up with the three weeks worth of laundry piled on bed mixed with the dirty clothes he mixed in even tho there is a hamper right by that’s empty,hummm my glass cabinet is empty…well I found all the glasses leaving water rings on the new wood dressers I bought him,I buy him solo cups to help this problem but now I just find all the cups plus solo cups too lol.i have a family of five,so after cleaning 13 hours straight yesterday and finished all the piles of laundry my son decides to back his garbage infested truck up and dump six loads of laundry for me! and now for the dirtiest kid alive award…he’s too lazy to walk upstairs to pee from his basement room,he pees out the back door in my little garden area! Or worst in the steam room/shower!!!! I could go on lol but that’s enough venting..and that was just one out of three kids! Luckily the 4 year old Is the one telling him his room is disqusting!shes my back up!but on a happy note I get to sleep seven hours in between the next cleaning! But love your blog it keeps me sane!
I loved this post! As a mom of three boys, I can definitely relate to almost all of those! I have one to add…my youngest picks his nose and wipes it on the wall behind his bed for a nice booger display. GROSS!!! LOL!
OK>…THAT might have just won the prize!! hahaha–So glad you shared. XO
Monica, I really love reading your stories! You are a super writer, able to engage your “audience”! On some level, I feel like I am the not-so-talented-or-well-versed version of you!
Before I get into that (one day), I had a few topics that I hoped you would write about one day…I sheepishly admit I haven’t gone through all your blogs to see if you already wrote about them, so please don’t roll your eyes if I make a request that has already been-there-done-that!!
Oh, and before I give you this list, I shall introduce myself as a 43 year old mother of 2, married for…um…oh right, 17 years…I lived in the Caribbean for 9 years, now back in Canada…eh!
So here is my list, based on observing my own life and of those around me and wondering “what would Monica say or do”…yes I value your insight greatly!!
1. Allowance – to do or not to do? As it stands, our kids do not get an allowance…simply because I haven’t figured out if anything is attached to them receiving it, how much, etc. Our kids are almost 12 (boy) and 9 (girl). The 12 year old boy will help with anything asked no matter if he wants to or not…he’s a pleaser and kind! The 9 year old girl…well, we range from her unloading the dishwasher at 8am Saturday morning (while we’re trying to sleep…but how can you tell her not to…”honey, can you wait ’til mama’s up to do that next time…you are so sweet to empty the dishwasher on your own”). Some parents give allowance based on what their child does. My issue is I don’t like the idea of a child who says “well I’ll do the chore if you pay me enough”. Families should work together to keep the house running…with mama bear carrying the heaviest load!! At the same time, we don’t give our kids money or gifts except on birthdays and Christmas. They aren’t learning how to budget for things they want…although our son saves and saves, our daughter spends and spends birthday and Christmas money.
2. Sharing birthday parties – I feel like each child should have their own special birthday party…it only happens once a year. A friend doesn’t see the big deal. These are not even twins or close in age…
3. Should siblings have to play with each other if one of them has a special friend over? I say NO NO NO…if the child and friend want to include them, great. But it should not be an obligation.
4. Should a child have to include their sibling at recess? I think kids should play with their own classmates as these are the kids they need to connect to all day Monday to Friday. I get worried when a child relies on their sibling.
5. Eating – how much control/influence should a parent have on what their child eats? If you put a balanced meal in front of your child and they only eat the carbs, do you remind them that they need to eat the protein and veggie? And if they refuse?
6. Sleeping habits – Should a child have to sleep with their sibling because they are afraid to sleep alone? I feel like this is not a child’s burden but one the parents need to deal with.
I think that’s it for now…looking forward to hearing some great advice on these topics!!!
Until then,
Rupal
P.S. I didn’t comment on pet peeves yet as I wanted to get this out FIRST!!
Rupal,
Thank you so much for the awesome comment–and so many great ideas! 🙂 I love it all. (and stop that about “not-so-talented, etc” version of me…No way! That’s crazy talk!) I will do my best to address any/every thought you have eventually! 🙂
But real quick: #1. Check out this post. It’s not my favorite Vlog-haha, but it explains our chore and payment system! https://monicaswanson.com/?p=26468
2. Bday parties…Oh yeah. I’ll ponder that one. (My 2 oldest are 6 days apart, and for my convenience I admit I’ve often shared their party, but I am open. And you have some good thoughts there for sure! :))
3. I’m w/ ya.
4. Hmmm…Though we homeschool so recess isn’t an issue, the only rule I can kind of apply is this: We expect our boys to treat one another well and respectfully in all situations. We’ve seen one of our boys team up with a buddy teasing his sibling, and that makes my blood boil. Siblings need to stick together and NEVER turn on one another. With that said, I don’t think I’d require siblings to PLAY at recess with each other. That seems a bit much. 🙂
5. Eating…More on that should be coming.
6. Sleeping. Such a huge topic. haha…
Everything with siblings is complicated and the variables are countless…
BY THE WAY–I plan to begin a monthly “Ask Monica” post so I will add your thoughts to my list and possibly address some of them in my very first “Ask Monica” Segement coming soon! 🙂
Aloha! xo
Can so relate to everything on your list . . . laundy, TV remotes, doors being left open, ice cream with one sccop left – even found it empty one time! My 3 boys also leave lights on, radios on, fans on and go to extreme lengths to put shoes, socks and undies in tucked away weird places even as they walk past their wardrobe or wash basket!! Go figure!! I just don’t get it. This post did make me laugh though but issues are so not funny at the time. Nice to know it’s not just me!
Our pastor had a perfect solution to the open door problem in the church office. “Please keep this door closed or everyone will know how much you tithe”. I’d come up with similar notes to leave inside your cub boards. Shut the door – it’s COLD in here or something.
I solved the pee-on-the-seat problem by announcing that everyone sits on the toilet. That’s why it’s shaped somewhat like a chair. If you want to stand to pee, go find a urinal … Oh wait, we don’t have one. So sit down.
The laundry issues I solved by charging a point in ChoreMonster for every item I had to pick off the floor or turn right-side-out. It’s been surprisingly effective.
Let’s don’t forget the pee on the floor in front of the toilet. Why is it that a guy can hit a target with a bullet but can’t hit the inside of the toilet bowl with their pee?
You live in Hawaii. Stop complaining.
Your article made me abSolutely happy! I am still laughing! I am thankful for skimming across this! I was really feeling like quite the witch here lately! It is almost scary in a euphoric sorta way when just a bunch of “little things” rob your day out from under you!…. When you are almost certain it was going according to plan… Riding the moments…. Smoothly, like you actually have a head start on the chaos…. And then, amidst the sticky, resembling somewhat of a glue mouse trap….. Maybe of even a fly strip context….the milk jug has somehow permanently affixed itself to the shelf in the refrigerator……. Oh!! WAIT! What are those little beads in the dried adherence?? Are those bread and butter pickles in the drawer? The drawer that will not open? Seems it has been glued shut! It’s what time? Time to pick up the GranBabies from school? The two I just dropped off at 8:40am….WHAT??? It’s already 3:30? It can’t be, I haven’t even got to the dishes yet! I don’t even have dinner pulled out, I am still trying to pry open the drawer for an onion! BaH-HUMBUG mysterious invisible person that does everything in this house….. That is anything and everything that has any sort of potential blame, possible repercussions….. Ahhh….. Responsibility….. You mean to tell me that you didn’t have anything to do with the waxed shavings of brilliant color…The one that almost looks as if it were a rainbow trail leading straight to your room?….. You don’t have a clue huh? Well let me lead you to where that silly elf went wrong….. It’s called a trash can…. You will find one, amazingly so, in every room of the house, even the porch, the car…. Everywhere! Yet it seems to elude the whole house of it’s evident purpose! OMG! Yes! YES! YES on every little peeve…. Yes on all, and many many more!! I am still completely dumbfounded by how???….. WHY? And when?? Am I wasting my disgruntled breath? Just sorta seems to me I am either way past OCD, or they don’t hear all of the pleading….. Or they just truly do not give a hoot in which shape their cozy comes in??? As long as there is still ample room for the next mess to be made…you know…. By that invisible elf…..they couldn’t care any less! OMG! Thank you, I at least do not feel like the wretched ol’ bag now! With this sort of fun to laugh with…. Yours, and Everyone elses…… It seems to be “not so dark & lonely” here in my world of “I’m not as spunky as I used to be? OR Am I losing my touch? Or the ever popular…. You guys!!!! I am a GRAMMA! Not a spring chicken! Quit making messes and then just leave them, assuming I AM GOING to clean it up for you!! BECAUSE I AM NOT!!!!! “”” arghhhhh!!!!! Betcha Ya’all foresee that outcome! I have tried to turn my head and be the more stubborn! It doesn’t work! It is embarrassing to say the least, especially when you know your house can be spotless 364 days a year……. Won’t be a visit one! Then the one day you just give up, let the mess sit while awaiting the rightful owners…… You actually get company?????? WTH is that anyway? Is it a “GIVEN” in the secret book somewhere? Lord Have Mercy on ME! PAaaaaaaaaahhhhhLLLLEEEeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzeeee! Just one day with no PEE all over the toilet I JUST SCRUBBED!!! Ohhhhh wait! Here’s a daily *PP* ” BaBy? Did you let IzzaBella out while I was gone?” (IzzaBella being an extremely oversized dog)…… ………. (I could have came up with a whopper by this time too, and judging by the lenghty pause….. A whopper is what I am about to receive!) BaBy responds “UhhhhhhhYYyyhhhheSsSSsss! Yes I did!” As I ponder the latest scenario….. Man sits in front of TV…. Intentionally avoiding physical contact of any sort…. Unless it is condensating all over the coffee table……. Or it has buttons to push… Relieving him of the good ol’ fashioned “get off your tail and flip the switch duty!” Hmmmmm…….. I am not buying it! “BaBy? So by saying “yes I let the dog out!” you are most definately saying you put her blanket back in front of the door exactly how I had it and everything?”….. Getting the ever so EXPECTED expression……•••HUH???????••• LOL! Sorta like that song that just came out recently… Your lips r movin’, your lips r movin’ ~N~ YOU LIE LIE LIE!! Anyway, I must go, thank you for the fun, my house has hit disassembled disaster while I was away having this fun!
I pretty much say ditto to your pet peeves, as my family seems to be related to yours with their habits. The other one that grosses me out is my teen daughter’s habit of shoving dirty clothes back inside drawers with clean ones. I think it must be when she’s rushing to show me her room is “clean” and I take a peek and it looks tidy until I dare to open a drawer in her captain’s bed or dresser and find it horrifyingly arranged with dirty clothes shoved inside. Or how about shoving dirty kleenex and trash underneath coffee tables? Such lovely ways of trying to trick me into thinking they cleaned.
Lol!!! I’m soooo with you in just about all of these ( as am far as what my family does too that drives me nuts! ) I have to say my husband is pretty good.. An occasional toilet seat left up but other then that not too bad. If anything he puts things back in the frisge & pantry in the wrong place where he took it from & that bugs me at times. But my boys!… An 18 yr old( who now is in school and comes home as much as he can when not working or off school ) and twin 12 ur olds… Ugh the poles of clothes on floors, the wet towel on floor or clumpy hung up towel, toothpaste on counter/ sink & cap not put on, toothpaste all over tube, food not put away, food not sealed properly when put away. Crumbs on table after eating & walking away … Sigh .. I hear YA on the pet peeves! Lol …… Love my boys and hubby beyond words though, no matter how many pet peeves the rattle up of mine
Oh my friend how I relate. I just can’t get the logic of clean clothes in the laundry and dirty clothes stuffed in drawers. Would that be considered a form of dyslexia? lol
First and foremost I think dryer lint sheets, dirty socks and cups are invisible to my husband! I find all three of these things everywhere. I really get mad at the water glasses because he’ll leave them on the edge of the kitchen counter and I’ve broken a few. So irritating! Ok, glad I got that off my chest.
This is right on spot on what happens in my home! It’s amazing on how moms from different parts of the world with different backgrounds can experience similar experiences when it comes to family 🙂 I would add how annoying it is to me when my kids put empty containers back in the freezer or fridge instead of putting them in the trash. And one good thing in my home (I would say most Muslims homes ) the problem with bringing dirt into the home minimizes when we all leave our shoes by the door all the time, and the toilet seat up it’s solved when all the boys and men in the house pee sitting down to avoid urine spraying on the seat, floor and clothes. ..this goes along with religious reasons to keep clothes free of urine which would not validate prayer until clean clothes are put on.
its a great list!!! 🙂 Love my four kiddos, they are the best !! but the cupboard doors and drawers, right? somebody should invent ones that close on their own 🙂 and the open drinks in the frig :/ why?
The sock balls in the laundry… as much as I want to leave them as is … I can’t, so I put on gloves and straighten them out – but they do stay inside out or right side out, whatever is easiest (I stopped turning all the laundry right side out)
haha sorry no great solutions -though I did put a stop to the open drinks in the frig, I told them they would have to clean it up (plus the whole frig) even if I was the one who spilled.
The rest of the time, I clench my teeth and pray for their souls!! then my soul and wisdom, and God is faithful to give wisdom and overflowing love
thank you for sharing your life
Terri Lynn
I can echo all of these and add another. Many times on my way past the bathroom, I smell poo. The wastebasket is FULL of “dirty” toilet paper and wipes. PU and gross! They tell me they don’t like putting their TP in the toilet because they don’t want the toilet to clog (they know they’re not supposed to flush wipes so that part is ok). They think they’re doing me a favor because then I don’t have to plunge LOL! I told them we do not have a water shortage and that they have permission to flush multiple times but they seem to continue to do me a “favor”
A good gripe is necessary sometimes – and cathartic :-
I could really relate to some of your pet peeves – the half-eaten cereal bowl in the fridge, or half-eaten anything left in the fridge uncovered.
The dirty clothes not finding their way into the laundry basket. In my boys’ bathroom at the moment, there are two pairs of school trousers, 3 pairs of underpants, one school shirt, one pair of socks and a belt on the floor, all within 1 metre of the laundry basket. In addition to a towel on the floor! Their towels seem to be perpetually on the floor or bunched up on the towel rail.
The toothpaste lid is seldom on the tube.
One one son frequently forgets to flush the toilet. This one bothers me a lot!
Worse than not replacing the toilet seat, is not raising it in the first place. As one of the moms said below, how big does the target need to be for their aim?
It’s comforting to know that we are not alone in this and most males seem to be the same 🙂
Thanks for the wonderful blog. I thoroughly enjoy your posts.
God bless us all as we raise these boys 🙂
Pretty sure my list is identical…even the remote between the couch cushions!
This post made me laugh, so I have to join in! My top 2 pet peeves: Boys who constantly “miss” the toilet! Could the target be any bigger?! It’s gross! And why, after my boys wash there hands, is there always a “flood” on the counter? How this happens, I’ll never know!
We are born naturely is a mom, a maid, or a wonderful wife … You are not alone.. Lol read your blog make my day happy.. Thank you so much Monica
No it isn’t just moms that notice every cabinet or cupboard left open…lol. All of those things are my pet peeves..lol. I must be a weird male, but neat is always better than sloppy. Nice list…The floss, well that would be a pet peeve of mine too..lol.
“Pants going into my laundry with one leg inside out, and one leg right side in.” Oh my gosh! This one is maddening. The funny thing is, I’ll put pants and longsleeved shirts into the washer completely inside-out (on purpose), but when I fish them out to switch ’em over to the dryer, ONE LEG/ARM IS NOW RIGHT-SIDE IN. I guess that’s more of a washer physics pet peeve than anything…
During our newlyweds-in-apartment days, El Husbandero would leave the toilet seat up on occasion. No big deal, really; he usually put it down.
Then we got kittens. And one of these kittens really, really, REALLY likes water (as in, he will jump into the shower with me WHILE THE WATER IS STREAMING FROM THE SHOWERHEAD). This kitten does not discriminate when it comes to water, as we learned when we would rest our tender bottoms upon the toilet seat and that toilet seat felt like it resided in the Splash Zone at Sea World.
Now we BOTH put the seat AND lid down. All the time. Every time. 😛
Maybe Coconut will develop a distinct love of all waters and precipitate the need for keeping all toilet seats/lids down! For the greater good, of course. 😉
I’ll give u a quick one-I live with my 16 & 6 yr old boys. ..u can imagine, I know. We live in the south. In the country. Woods behind the house so close they ARE the back yard. We never use the back door…but one day, I just had the inclination to take a peek…(not the best idea I’ve had).
There beside the steps between the house & the great beyond I found the trash my teenager had allegedly taken out to the road for pickup (no bag)…2 days before. & some toys of my 6yr olds…how long had THIS stash been building?
*I have never been so grossed out as I have been since my boys’ arrival in this world-not even in my 14yrs of nursing. #boysaregross
At least your boys raise the toilet seat. I am tired of going to sit down and realizing there is pee all over the seat that I just sat down on. I am threatening to remove the seats. Of course, this will harm me the most, but imagine the leg workout I would get as I hovered over the seat!
Are we living with the same people? I feel like my family has been cloned!!!! I have found no solutions so good luck!
I could echo almost everyone one of these pet peeves! Wow. Did you peek into my house, or are all houses with 4 kids a bit similar?! 🙂
Oh my goodness THIS LIST!
I love that your short list includes the biggest of the offenders on my rather long list.
What worries me just a bit is that you live with 5 men. I have one man and one teenage girl and any of these offenses are a daily occurrence at my house … EEK!
You are with hundreds if not thousands of other mom’s with the floss…..I am a dental hygienist and it….flossing….so important for healthy teen and gums. But it gets left everywhere is the complaint.one mom put it on a cracker and said would you eat this?
Laundry I like the inside out as the fabric stays less cat hair shall we say. And you are right on with the clean clothes in the dirty basket as too lazy to put away! And socks I pick them up and they can buy them back for a dime a piece. Dirty and they can do a load of just socks!
Love you blog
So LOVED this post. Aww …the pet peeves we as Mom’s have. If I had a dollar for everyone of the Capri Sun wrappers that somehow NEVER get to the trash, I’d be rich. I do prefer to envision you sipping an AMAZING yummy Aloha drink on the Lanai (of course feet elevated) while watching your wonderful boys skateboarding in their new skate bowl. Have a very BLESSED day!!!
You must live in my house!! Minus the dishwasher, the only dishwasher we have is me (and the kids). My big grip is leaving book bags in the middle of the walkway in the living room,, when you have hooks to hang them on along with their coats. Which happen to be right at the door.
I thought my guy was the only one gifted in one leg inside-out, one leg right-side in!!! How about the one who can’t figure out how to get toothpaste out of the tube without smearing it all over the end of the tube where it hardens into concrete? Toilet seat left up gets me, but not aiming and even worse! Ugh! Using one tissue per swipe? Couch pillows on floor? Oh and as always… Velveeta. YUCK!
Your list is awesome! Have to agree about the laundry: Never ending; and there is no made to do it! I’ve found balled up socks behind the toilet??!!?? And the TV room…I’ve tripped over 4 pairs of shoes while trying to sit down on the couch to enjoy some family TV time. Im sure you can guess whose shoes they were…
Keep your posts coming, you’re helping so many.
The top of the list of annoying habits I have with the men of my house is WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT/DOING WHEN YOU PEE??? I absolutely dislike CONSTANTLY cleaning the toilet!!! I can live with the rest of the annoying pet peeves for the most part. Aim to please guys!
Us Ohio folks request you send some sunshine our way!
Love your gift of writing Monica!
Love your list – I can identify with most of them! How about pants inside out with underwear still attached as well? And clothes that were tried on, but not worn, in the dirty laundry to be washed again!?
Amen, Sister!! And yes, our crew stuffs the remote in the cushions constantly. It’s like playing Where’s Waldo anytime I want to watch a “mommy show”.
To add to the Peeves List:
1. Leaving empty soda cans on top of the kitchen island, rather than throwing them into the recycling bin located inside of said island.
2. Placing dirty dishes in the sink, instead of putting them into the dishwasher that the same child unloaded 10 minutes before. (But hey, at least he brought all his dirty glasses to the kitchen instead of leaving them in his bedroom. I guess I should celebrate the small things.)
3. Finding tiny rubber bands that they wear with braces EVERYWHERE…On the coffee table, in the bathroom sinks, on the kitchen table, in the carpet! Blech!
Doors/cabinets left open? Arrggh
Food in refrigerator on plates without covers? Arrggh
And how about …
Recycling left on the counter next to the door to the garage where the bin is?
TEA CUPS everywhere!
Opening a new jar/box of something when the last one isn’t finished yet.
Putting away the “easy” things from the dish drainer and leaving the odds & ends there.
And also …
My husband believes in having a back-up for the back-up. Consequently although we have a nice container for the extra toilet paper we also often have rolls of toilet paper on the back of the toilet or still in the plastic wrap sitting next to the toilet. Or two rolls of paper towels sitting on the counter. And let’s not even talk about how many deodorants and toothpaste containers he keeps on “his” side of the sink. Does he really need that many options every day?
We’ve been together 25 years so these things have mostly morphed into sweet quirks 🙂
Men and children/teens are pigs 🙂 these all sound famliar
I am so glad to hear that my husband is not the only one that leaves his used dental floss all over the house! And while I’m on the subject of oral dentistry, how about those little tiny used rubber bands that my daughter wears with her braces……
They are so small that I’m sure there are hundreds of germy bands laying around that I just can’t see because I’m getting old.
One of my favorites, though, is when the banana peel gets left on the counter about 6 inches away from the trash can.
Sometimes I wonder if they all just think…”oh the maid will get it”……
You are not alone!!! Here’s my take on your list….
I’ll do you one worse, than one leg out & one leg in……legs clumped up in a ball inside pants. That wet dirty mess is a big NO! That goes for balls of socks too! 😉
I wonder the same thing on h o w hard is it to get the clothes in hamper, when they’re right next to it. Also….My son is notorious for throwing a week’s worth of folded clothes in hamper so he doesn’t have to open the drawers & closet to put away.
Leaving 1 cherry in the bag in the fridge….really? That 1 cherry was gonna put you over the edge wasn’t it?! Just eat it!
I find those dirty sock balls all over from my carpenter/landscaping hubby!
Ohh and long beard hairs!!!!!! “Your beard is cute honey, but we all know what beard hairs look like!!!!” (In my car, on my bed, on the floor, in the fridge?????)
My boys don’t leave the lid up ever but per on the seat & rim…..drives me bonkers!!!!
One last tidbit…..be thankful you FIND floss….My family is “allergic” to it! LOL!!!
Yes my boys won’t open the lid, and then I get a wet bum! Gag!
As I was reading I laughed along (thinking “Me too! Me too!”) And then there were the ones that made me stop and think *I* do that – Ug!
Turns out living with 2 little boys does add to my household pet peeves (we get pee and toothpaste everywhere too!) but I think most of the things that irritate me around the house are the resul of my own hands. Yikes! Think how much easier life would be if I stopped bothering myself!!
Missing the toilet – big time.
Toothpaste all over the sink and the tap left running.
Leaving things like drink bottles in the car. Makes for a pain when packing lunches.
Not undoing shoe laces when they take their shoes off then needing help to undo the quadruple knots that are now super tight from yanking as we rush out the door.
My favourite at the moment is my tuna obsessed son leaving his remnants on the table to waft through the house as the day warms up. Awesome way to be greeted when you open the front door in the afternoons!
All that said, I love them to bits and back again. 🙂
How about toothpaste EVERYWHERE including caked all over the sink in huge clumps. It’s all over the bathroom cupboard, floor, etc. I found some on the front of my son’s dresser! WHY?!
Try finding toothpaste globs on the ceiling! Not just an isolated occurrence, found two in one week! Not just why, How?!!
Lo-ove this!
“…all over refrigerator-kingdom come… And my day is over. ” #YES
“…all over pantry-kingdom come. And my day is done.” #Amen
I love your writing style! And don’t worry, you are not alone. #MommasUnite
Our remotes get stuck between the couch cushions, too…and once my daughter (only about 15 mos at the time) stuck a remote so deep into the couch my husband had to cut into the fabric (in the corner of the inside of the couch, not visible).
Dirty wadded up socks are the worst!! My husband and son both do this!
Fun post 🙂 thanks for keeping it real!!
(Meant to say they leave the socks on the dining room table–so gross!!)
-Open drawers with little boy clothing hanging out ( Why do they have so many clothes when they wear the same 12 things all of the time?)
-Open backpacks with school “stuff” hanging out in a tiny entry way
– Hubby’s shoes left everywhere by our rascal of a greyhound
-Clutter on our dining room table. All. The. Time.
You are in good company!!!!!!!!
The comment-” oh I didn’t know the dishwasher had clean dishes in it” after the sloppy drippy dish has shared its love all over the used to be clean dishes
Or…. Just stacking the dirty dishes nex to the sink to avoid unloading the dishwasher
Or…. An UNFLUSHED toilet- I have photos
Or…. The flippant “yes” answer I get over and over from my child when he really has ZERO intention of doing that thing I asked him to do…..
Love that you are “normal” too.
Keep up the great work- you are important to sooo many!!!
I echo EVERYTHING in Monica’s post and this mom’s additions. My 2 biggest pet peeves with 3 kids (14 girl & almost 11 boy/girl twins) are (1) UNFLUSHED toilet especially when UNFLUSHED more than once (yep they keep on going) and (2) kids ‘stuff’ (books, paper, socks, candy wrapper, pjs, etc) left EVERYWHERE even with consequences & me constantly having them come pick it up & put it away (where it belongs thank you very much!) every time I find something dropped. I keep thinking one day they will think (1) “Eww gross who doesn’t flush the toilet, like really?!” or (2) “I might as we put this away now so Mom doesn’t drag me away from TV or friends or video games to get it as soon as she sees it.” But, alas, that day is yet to come. I hope it’s on the horizon though! What does it take seriously?!?!?