• Cleaning House

  • A Mom's Twelve-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement
  • By: Kay Willis Wyma
  • Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
  • Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Release date: 05-18-12
  • Language: English
  • Publisher: christianaudio.com
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars 4.3 (132 ratings)

Regular price: $15.39

Membership details Membership details
  • A 30-day trial plus your first audiobook, free.
  • 1 credit/month after trial – good for any book, any price.
  • Easy exchanges – swap any book you don’t love.
  • Keep your audiobooks, even if you cancel.
  • After your trial, Audible is just $14.95/month.
Buy Now for $15.39
Select or Add a new payment method

Buy Now with 1 Credit

By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Buy Now for $15.39

Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Add to Library for $0.00

By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

Do your kids think that clean, folded clothes magically appear in their drawers? Do they roll their eyes when you suggest they clean the bathroom? Do you think it's your job to pave their road to success? As parents, so often we hover, race in to save, and do everything we can for our kids - unintentionally reinforcing their belief that the world revolves around them.
When Kay Wyma realized that an attitude of entitlement had crept into her home, this mother of five got some attitude of her own. Cleaning House is her account of a year-long campaign to introduce her kids to basic life skills. From making beds to grocery shopping to refinishing a deck chair, the Wyma family experienced for themselves the ways meaningful work can transform self-absorption into earned self-confidence and concern for others.
With irresistible humor and refreshing insights, Kay candidly details the ups and downs of removing her own kids from the center of the universe. The changes that take place in her household will inspire you to launch your own campaign against youth entitlement. As Kay says, "Here's to seeing what can happen when we tell our kids, 'I believe in you, and I'm going to prove it by putting you to work."
©2012 eChristian Inc. (P)2012 eChristian Inc.
Show More Show Less

People who bought this also bought...

Audible.com Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful
5 out of 5 stars
By Rachel Maize on 06-19-12

Yes, yes, YES!!

What did you love best about Cleaning House?

I chose it to read because I'm on a 12-months of "xyz"-kick right now ... but as a mother of young children, I bump up against this entitlement stuph on a regular basis. I found myself shouting YES!! to her philosophy and statements (after admitting to the error of her ways prior to the project) and cheering her and her family on throughout the book. I feel so strongly about the points and quality of this book that I am purchasing it for every member (40!) of my Mothers of PreSchoolers group this year!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cleaning House?

when she recounts a friend's son putting in a sprinkler system himself (including research and purchasing), and when she had one (clueless) kid pump gas ...

Which scene was your favorite?

there are 12 categories - I think my favorite 'scenes' are when she explains the different ways her different-personaly-ed crew handled the challenges.

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

give kids the tools, and step back. self-esteem is created when you give them the opportunities to succeed (and sometimes fail), not when you pave the way, fix the results, or prevent failure/experience altogether!

Read More Hide me

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

3 out of 5 stars
By michele on 12-28-14

A good book for large families.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to families with children at home. It is thought provoking and is a good guide on how to restructure chores. I would caution my friends though that this author has a much less protective approach to child safety than I do. I did not agree that letting children take off alone on bicycles or other community outings is part of building self-sufficient children. Letting toddlers access dangerous playground equipment and letting them learn the hard way if they get hurt seems irresponsible. Children are vulnerable and there are a lot of bad people and dangers out there. At times, I felt that the author was weary of parenting 5 children and was largely motivated by her own need to have the children self-sufficient at an early age. I did not implement this type of program yet, raised three very well adjusted self-sufficient children. The author doesn't factor in maturity as a real physiological process and part of brain functions with aging. She does seem to be rushing her children and it seems they were pretty stressed. I know moms with 5 plus children and it does seem that these moms are much more ready to have their children self-sufficient earlier out of necessity.

Would you recommend Cleaning House to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, as above. The book has lots of good ideas. She also quotes scripture and seems to be striving to be a Godly mother.

Which scene was your favorite?

No one scene stands out. The book is full of scenes about how the authors children responded to her new mandates.

What did you learn from Cleaning House that you would use in your daily life?

My children are raised, but I can implements some of the ideas with future grand-children. It is a nice concept.

Any additional comments?

The narrator is superb!

Read More Hide me

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

See all Reviews