by Whitney Barthel posted in Parenting

I have a problem -- I am a total control freak. Thankfully, I am conscious of it (thanks to my husband's "constructive criticism") and am able to alter my behavior accordingly. I understand that my children need to learn how to do things like vacuum, wash the dishes, and fold clothes, but watching them do things "wrong" is mentally and physically painful for me.
To nurture my children's independence while also appeasing my inner psyche's need to have things just so, I frequently find myself going back and re-doing things around the house. Don't worry, I don't do it in front of the boys. I'm not completely heartless.

What trip to the cabin would be complete without 5 men cooking 1 meal" Here's the real shocker: I didn't even try to take over! One of the more bothersome areas of our house is the toy corner. There's a bookshelf, a desk, and a toy box. The boys also have several totes in Charlie's room filled with Legos of various sizes and a couple different train track sets.

My least favorite toy ever invented, the teeny, tiny Lego.
So, while I'm at home, I like to limit taking one or two totes out at a time. Mostly because I'm the one who is forced to sort out the disaster later. When my husband is home, it is a free-for-all. Totes and toys everywhere. But because he knows it drives me nuts, he makes sure to try and pick up a little bit before I come home if I am away.
Every once in a while, I start to not...