The Art of Cleaning

Over the weekend, we all relaxed, taking advantage of Daddy's absence. By Sunday afternoon, the house was a disaster - every room scattered with the refuse of a lazy couple of days. I asked the children to help me put some order back in our lives before the school week started and before Daddy got home.

Daelyn was assigned the Den, Deanna helped me in the kitchen, and Dane got to work on his bedroom, which both boys and a male guest had pretty-well destroyed.

In about 20 minutes, Dane bounded into the kitchen.

"Mama, get the vacuum cleaner, quick. Bring it to my bedroom. Please don't wait." He was very insistent, so I got the vacuum out and headed down the hall. Dane's room was still a disaster. I wasn't quite sure what the vacuum was for.

"I'll be done in one minute, Mom. I just want to clean everything out of my closet so you can vacuum it out for me."

As busy as I was, I didn't see just standing there, waiting, so I suggested he call me when he was ready for the cleaning part, and went back to work in the kitchen.

Shortly, Dane reappeared and was ready for the vacuuming. I did the closet for him, then he instructed Daelyn to neatly put all his own shoes back in the closet by pairs.

"You do your side, I'll do mine," he told his brother.

"When you're done, call me again," I said, "and I'll vacuum the rest of the floor for you."

I had just gotten back to work in the kitchen when Don arrived home. After greetings and visiting for a few minutes, we all got back to work. Dane didn't call me again. A few minutes later, I checked out the situation. Dane and Don were together in the boy's room and were discussing the best way to vacuum. In a few minutes, they had all the attachments to the vacuum cleaner laid out on the floor and were discussing the advantages and uses of each. I snickered and went back to work. Before long, I heard the vacuum and peeked in the room again. Don and Dane had the vent cover off and were cleaning out the duct in Dane's room. Next, they put the small nozzel on the vacuum and did the baseboards.

Later that evening, as I was tucking Dane into bed, he jabbered on and on about how clean his room was.

"Mama, my room has never been this clean! It feels great to have such a clean room. Brother, you need to make sure you don't mess it up again. It's really clean, don't you think, Mom?"

I reassured him and smiled to myself at the thought that he hadn't noticed all the times I've pulled the bunkbeds out and washed down baseboards and cleaned the entire room, even under the dressers. But I was so thankful that he was taking ownership for his room and that he had enjoyed cleaning with his Daddy.

For all the boys and men that think cleaning is women's work, take notice. Men can raise chores to an art form. And with the proper attachments (tools) and a vacuum cleaner (power tool), cleaning can be almost as much fun as "fixing things". Instead of a feminine skill, cleaning his room became a male bonding event for Dane and his Daddy.

All hail the vacuum cleaner (and the Dad willing to use it).