Enabler

In the spectrum of parenting, I'd like to think I fall in the "strict" section.  My boys have chores they must complete daily, some even after each meal.  They are expected to take care of one another, occasionally make meals for one another, and even clean up after each other.  Four sons in the house can make lots of messes, so I expect them to help in keeping the house neat.

...except when it comes to cups.  The pic above is only about half of those that get used on a daily basis in this house.  Our collection is a myriad of superhero-themed tumblers, small vessels left over from the toddler years, and the coveted logo cups from kids' meals at "nice" restaurants.  And there is where the problem lies.  My sons use SO MANY cups.  At mealtime they each use a cup.  That's 12 cups per day right there.  Then there's snack time, water breaks after wrestling time, and "I don't want to do schoolwork so I'll get up for a drink of water" time.  Honestly, I can't keep track and I just can't keep up.  I know if I asked them instead to just wash a dirty cup, they would either a) insufficiently wash the cup or b) take WAY too long to do it.  So, my sink looks like this early in the day and looks twice as bad by the end of the evening.

I blame Islands.  When we eat there and the kids need a refill, the servers don't take back the cup they're currently using.  Oh, noooo.  They bring back a whole new cup!  Sometimes we've left Islands with eight new cups to add to our collection!  I have even thought to myself "We're low on plastic cups.  Let's eat at Islands tonight!"  I also blame their friends' parents for giving away goodie cups and not goodie bags at birthday parties.  They never want to get rid of those because they're souvenirs!  And I blame Target.  Who can resist the clearance section of kids' dinnerware?  Why let someone else walk home with that last Lightning McQueen cup that only costs $.50?

This means I am an enabler.  I am not dealing with the problem of too many cups.  I am allowing our cup use addiction to get out of control.  I need help.  If you know where I live, I am crying out for intervention.  Come take away all the plastic cups.  Make us use the nice glass ones.  Show me what the bottom of my sink looks like.  Teach my boys how to wash dishes correctly.

I look forward to the day when I can be rid of this vice, open my cupboard and see exactly six drinking glasses.  Ok, maybe 12, because of company.  18...?