<p>So, today is the first day of school. </p>
<p>Yesterday, S#3 (8th grade) was looking for his backpack. . .he’d dumped it in the corner of his room when school got out in May.</p>
<p>In his backpack (inside a plastic bag) he found his (damp) gym clothes. OMG-- We took the bag outside before opening it.</p>
<p>And then there was the LUNCHBOX. . .yes, it had rotten food in it.</p>
<p>(Does a 13yo still need Mom to take care of these things?)</p>
<p>One day you will look back upon this fondly! :D</p>
<p>Good times…</p>
<p>atomom, that’s a funny story. 
</p>
<p>I don’t have anyone still in regular back-to-school mode but my oldest D is a teacher. School doesn’t resume here til Sept. 8th, though. Everyone is hoping that it has cooled off by then. High today is 104! So much for all of us living in igloos in Canada. :)</p>
<p>With my close to 16 year old and 20 year old, I still regularly go into their rooms to make sure there isn’t any left over candy bars or cookies in their rooms. When we run out of drinking glasses, I know it’s time to raid their rooms again. </p>
<p>They will get theirs someday. May their kids be as good to them as they have been to us.</p>
<p>I have told my 17 year old senior that the possibility of ant trails in his room will be lessened if he doesn’t leave food related items in his room. This sometimes works as he isn’t fond of the smell of ant spray.</p>
<p>Then again, in writing his college essay on “What My Roommate Should Know About Me” he freely admits to the chaos theory for his room (i.e. keeping things organized is not the 8th heavenly virture for him!)</p>
<p>My son’s i-pod spent the summer in his backpack a couple of years ago. He thought he’d lost it (well, I guess he did!). It was a nice surprise.</p>
<p>atomom:</p>
<p>Does a 13yo still need mom to take care of these things? Wait until they are in college and ask. And you’ll find the answer may well be yes. If in doubt, reread the Urban Moundbuilders essay written by TheDad when CC was in its infancy</p>
<p>[College</a> Confidential Discussion](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?70/25523]College”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?70/25523)</p>
<p>I have to empty out the lunch box and backpack each night after my CIT D comes home from camp - wet towels etc. She “forgets”. </p>
<p>A funny story of this type was told by my mom of her apt. living in Brooklyn in the 50’s - a horde of lunches led to ants that crawled up and down that line of apts. One very clean woman (could have been mom, but maybe not) could not figure out why she had ants. Talked to the neighbors up and down, and voila all the uneaten lunches under the bed. Mom is gone now, but I swear that she told me this story - not an urban myth.</p>
<p>Of course my older brother got them back - left water faucet on one day when the water was off. All went out on a hot summer day, and when water came on sink overflowed, and dripped down four flights. Mom was not too thrilled with what happened to her carpet. Other neighbors PO’d. Shortly afterward moved away.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Thank you, thank you, thank you! I thought I was the only parent of children this age that also has to do this!!! It is a sigh of relief to know that there is someone else out there who does this too!</p>
<p>Oh, and I have had similar experiences to the OP in years past as well.</p>
<p>I just collected 14 empty/and some not empty, but partially drank Dasani water bottles from 14 y/o room.</p>
<p>I found the mothers day card my 1o year old son made buried under a furry uneaten sandwich in his backpack beginning of June. Yes the fur started to jump sandwich bag and attach to the card.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Oldfort: I love this! It’s much nicer than what I usually think (and say :mad:).</p>
<p>atomom: Yep ~ last day of sophomore year my son had a water fight with his friends, stuffed his clothes in his backpack, where they fermented all summer. You are braver than I; I threw the whole backpack away :eek:</p>
<p>They do grow up. Today, only 1 year later, he cleaned his own backpack with Febreze and aired it out in the fresh outdoor air. Band camp has left his clothes and backpack smelling putrid. After he brought said backpack in the house, however, he did chase me around the kitchen trying to put it over my head yelling, “Does it smell like sweaty clothes anymore??!!”</p>
<p>Thanks, y’all–I had a feeling I wasn’t the only one. . .</p>
<p>sam-LOL–A moldy, ungiven Mothers’ Day card = Priceless!</p>
<p>momlove–my kid sprayed his lunchbox with Febreeze. And I didn’t stop him. (How good is that gonna taste?!)</p>
<p>This isn’t as much ewwww as it is grrrrrr…</p>
<p>Freshman in high school daughter starts school in 2 days. At the end of last school year she transfered all her school things to a big box, which I decided to go through today. I found NINE COMBS in her things. NINE! No one in my family can ever find a comb and woe to the person who does not adequately hide their comb from her. I could never figure out where they all went; well now I know.</p>
<p>My son held out his hands in front of her and in a loud voice exclaims: “These have been my comb for the past 6 months. Arghhhh!” :mad:</p>
<p>All nine combs are now well hidden within our respective bedrooms :rolleyes:</p>