Earlier this summer, a dear friend began Cleaning House: A Mom's Twelve-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement by Kay Wills Wyma. She invited her friends to join her in reading the book. I passed. But, after hearing another friend praise the book and having an opportunity to review the book, I joined her on her journey.
Basically, Wyma realized that her children, ages 4 to 14, were a bit spoiled and ill-equipped to "fly on their own" later in life. For 12 months, she addressed a different responsibility each month. She started with the basics - making beds and decluttering bedroom floors. Other months included preparing meals, cleaning bathrooms, maintaining the yard, working outside the home, washing laundry, running errands and more.
As you might expect, she encountered much resistance initially. But, with a bit of whining and grumbling, her kids rose to the occasion. I was more inspired by the heart change in her kids than the behavior changes she saw through this "experiment."
Wyma is a Christian, and she weaves her faith into the story. Honestly, I would have enjoyed an even greater connection to her faith throughout the book. We were created for work, even before the fall. Wyma's efforts at training her children tapped into this part of who they are, in my opinion.
This book is more of Wyma's journal through her journey than a practical, application-for-my-family kind of book. But, I enjoyed it and have been inspired to do a little "experimenting" in my own family.
I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
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