Throw It Out

For months, neigh, years, I have been telling little miss Haana not to leave dirty clothes on the bedroom floor; put them in the laundry basket. Is that too much to ask? I have tried making it a chore she has to do, threatening to take the clothes away from her, lecturing her, nagging her. Lately I had been threatening her if she leaves her clothes on the floor I will throw them out of the balcony. The bedroom has a small balcony that overlooks over the front yard.

Nothing has worked.

This last weekend, I was standing in the bedroom looking over little miss Haana's small stack of dirty clothes on the floor. I picked them up. Then i looked over at her with a mischievous twinkle in my eye. Little miss Haana's eyes widened wondering what to expect now. I opened the balcony door, and quickly threw out her t-shirt from the balcony. It swerved for a second or two like a parachute and landed on the bushes in the front yard. Little miss Haana screamed to dad, "Papa, Mumma threw it out!! She did it!". I was laughing with delight by now. Papa shook his head. I had two more items in my hand. Little miss Haana jumped up at me to grab those items from my hand. She got one and ran to put it in the laundry basket. But i had the towel! And before she could jump up and grab it back, i quickly opened the balcony door and threw it out as well! I laughed with delight and clapped by hands. Little miss Haana's screamed to her dad again, "Papa, mumma threw the towel out too! Oh no!!".

The two of them headed downstairs to retrieve the prized artifacts from between the bushes in the front yard while I chuckled at myself for a job well done and certainly well enjoyed!

Since then, little miss Haana has never once left her clothes on the floor. I look out for such opportunities, but am left disappointed. "Oww!", I complain to her when i don't find anything to throw out. But it has been the most effective parenting success ever!