Chapter 12: Keep Yourself and the Area Around You Clean and Neat

It was seven-thirty in the morning and it was like every morning in Sandy’s house.  She was sitting with her head in her hand, tapping her foot and waiting.  She knew she would be late.  She knew she would have to explain to her teacher, once again, “We had trouble getting out of the house.”

This wasn’t a quiet moment.  It was crazy.  Her little brother Mel was racing around looking for his shoe.  “I can’t find it!”  He had the right shoe and two left shoes from other pairs but not a match.

Mom was also running around. “Has anyone seen my keys?!”

No one had seen her keys.

Sandy was listening.  She had everything ready—her homework, her lunch, her keys, her money, her cell phone and she had written a special note to her best friend and it was in a special envelope she had made. This was all neatly placed in her backpack.

She knew her Mom would find the keys… eventually, but she was sick and tired of helping every day.

“Here they are!” Mom called out.  “They were under the mail.  Let’s go, Mel!”

“But where’s my shoe? “ Sandy’s brother continued, his voice coming down the stairs.  “Sandy, did you put it somewhere?”

Sandy was pretty fed up.  “If I put it somewhere we would know where it is!”

Eventually, after several more false starts they were able to get out the door.  Mel had to lace up his shoes in the car because of the knots in the laces and Mom dropped her keys two times trying to lock the front door.

“Next time help us look for stuff,” said her brother.

“That would be a big help, sweetie,” said her mom.

Sandy didn’t know what to say, she was just so mad.   So, she kept her mouth shut all the way to school.  It was just another typical morning she would soon forget.

What could Sandy do?  Here are a few options.

• Help look next time.
• Yell back at them that it’s their problem, not hers.
• Find things for them the night before and lay them out for the family.
• Give them a book on organization and make sure they read it.

What would you do?

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