HIGHLY suspicious

[dogmac]

Now, how is this for suspicious? One of my workmates went over to Perth for the weekend, leaving her 17 year old son in charge. And she came home last night and he had CLEANED.

Check the recycling bin, I say.

[Krade]

Well it's been a few years since I was 17, but I can tell you that I never cleaned the house before my mom got home from some trip or another.

Rake him over the coals, he's keeping secrets.

[Foeofthelance]

Huh, we always cleaned before my folks got back, even when we didn't do something wrong. It was either that or listen to a thirty minute rant about how we were lazy.

Can't win for losing, I guess.

[Blaine.Bush]

Maybe he's a conscientious young man who cares a great deal for his mother, whom he wants to make happy. :smallfrown:

[golentan]

Huh, we always cleaned before my folks got back, even when we didn't do something wrong. It was either that or listen to a thirty minute rant about how we were lazy.

Can't win for losing, I guess.

Same. Heck, I always had the laundry and dishes done by the time they were back.

[dogmac]

Yes, maybe he is a caring and conscientious young man.

Or maybe he had a party.

I know which I think is more likely.

[Eurus]

Hey, I'd say actually cleaning the house probably makes up for any horrible things he might've done beforehand anyway. :smallamused:

[Thursday]

Has anything been Ironed?

Thats when you know somethings up....

[Lyndworm]

I'm twenty, but when I was around that age we usually cleaned the house when my parents were gone. It may or may not be suspicious given the kid's usual cleanliness schedule.

[Jacklu]

=\ When I was that age, I would actually clean the house while the parents were gone. So when they got back it would put them in a good mood. And was a nice thing to do. But I suppose if the kid has no history of doing nice things for his mother...

[Forever Curious]

Hey, I'm that age now, and I regularly clean the house when I'm home alone (it's a boredom thing).

[toasty]

Define clean? I'd "clean" the house, but not up to my parents exacting standards. If its up to his mother's exacting standards... something might be up, especially if he's not the cleaning type.

[Mystic Muse]

Maybe he's a conscientious young man who cares a great deal for his mother, whom he wants to make happy. :smallfrown:

hmm...... Nah.

@Dogmac. I'm Seventeen and I'll be cleaning the house before my mom comes home does that mean I had a party? (Were I to even have a party It would only be with my cousins. I don't really have any friends I can hang out with on a regular basis. Even if my cousins came over we'd play a game or three of magic the gathering and then they'd leave. AFTER picking up. =P)

[arguskos]

I picked up when I was 17, and I still clean up the house now (21). I mean, what's the big deal here? And, even if he might have done something... so what? When you were 17, you never tried in vain to keep secrets from your folks? Pashaw! Everyone does it, it's a rite of passage to adulthood. Let the kid go.

[Temotei]

Yes, maybe he is a caring and conscientious young man.

Or maybe he had a party.

I know which I think is more likely.

That's not fair. You're hardly giving him a chance.

[Dexam]

dogmac: If he's cunning enough, he may be establishing precedent. If he does not have a party yet cleans the house every time his parents go away, then when he does have a massive party and cleans up afterwards his parents will have no reason to doubt him when he innocently says "Why, no, I didn't have a party while you were gone". It's all about removing the "suspicious" :smallwink:

[blunk]

The parents should leave town whenever the house gets dirty, and as long as the kid isn't obviously spiraling downward - don't ask, don't tell.

Disclaimer: not a parent (thank God)

[Krade]

dogmac: If he's cunning enough, he may be establishing precedent. If he does not have a party yet cleans the house every time his parents go away, then when he does have a massive party and cleans up afterwards his parents will have no reason to doubt him when he innocently says "Why, no, I didn't have a party while you were gone". It's all about removing the "suspicious" :smallwink:

I did that on accident. I was a genuinely good teenager for years. Then I started doing those "bad things" like very occassionally drinking, staying out all night, etc. And mom trusted me enough to not worry about me. Come to think of it, I actually told some of the stuff I did and she was pretty okay with it. Hooray for proving you aren't worthless as early as possible, I guess...

[Gaelbert]

Maybe he's a conscientious young man who cares a great deal for his mother, whom he wants to make happy. :smallfrown:

I'm 17 and the last time my mom went away, even for less than a day, I cleaned. It's not unheard of.

[Coidzor]

Sometimes people remember to clean up after the orgies due to planning them well. I know, it's rare, but not completely alien.

[The Extinguisher]

The parents should leave town whenever the house gets dirty, and as long as the kid isn't obviously spiraling downward - don't ask, don't tell.

Disclaimer: not a parent (thank God)

This seems like good advice. Give them the "talk" and enjoy your free maid service.

[Solaris]

Maybe he's a conscientious young man who cares a great deal for his mother, whom he wants to make happy. :smallfrown:

Yeah, and maybe I charge into battle armed with a laser pistol and riding a unicorn. C'mon, the kid's guilty of something. We must torture it out of him. Let's round up the inquisition!

[Mercenary Pen]

Yeah, and maybe I charge into battle armed with a laser pistol and riding a unicorn. C'mon, the kid's guilty of something. We must torture it out of him. Let's round up the inquisition!

Nobody expects the spanish inquisition!

On a more serious note, you want to play this carefully. If he has merely cleaned up and you get on his case like some paranoid witchhunter, you're only telling him that he shouldn't make nice gestures and help out around the house. On the other hand, if he has had a party, then it's important to discuss the subject rationally, set ground-rules, work out where you're both willing to compromise.

The most common complaint I've heard in the 'massive party while I'm away' camp, is the fear that the house will be trashed and/or things will be missing when the homeowner returns- with the right handling of the situation, this won't be an issue. If you approach this effectively, you might even get an agreement to ask for permission first (although for this you need to at least imply that you'll say yes if certain conditions are met).

In short, the solution to this is not to ram the problem head on, but rather to nudge it to one side down a channel that isn't too painful for all concerned.

[dogmac]

Oh, his mother doesn't care. She is "Well, it's clean and nothing is broken, so I don't care if anything went on"

I was more amused, as every single other Australian (maybe an important detail) I mentioned it to went "He had a party."

[Belkarsbadside1]

What you should do is joke 'what? did you clean up because you had a party?' and see how he reacts

[faceroll]

Oh, his mother doesn't care. She is "Well, it's clean and nothing is broken, so I don't care if anything went on"

I was more amused, as every single other Australian (maybe an important detail) I mentioned it to went "He had a party."

Maybe all your friends are old and here you've got a bunch of young nerds?

[Force]

When my parents leave the house for more than a day, I always clean it.

... But since the only times they've done that have involved me living in the house for over a month, alone, I'd darn better clean it :smalltongue:

[skywalker]

Sometimes people remember to clean up after the orgies due to planning them well. I know, it's rare, but not completely alien.

The hardest partier I know is also the most fastidious cleaner I know. After we were up until 6 in the morning once, everyone else was asleep/passed out, but he was puttering around making everything incredibly neat and tidy. Like, the place looked better than when we started. And I said "you know, your mom is well aware of what's going on, I think this is a bit over the top." And he said "Well, yeah, but there's really no reason to throw it in her face, is there?" I found that quite considerate.

[SoD]

Now, how is this for suspicious? One of my workmates went over to Perth for the weekend, leaving her 17 year old son in charge. And she came home last night and he had CLEANED.

Check the recycling bin, I say.

Nah, check the neiboughs (hate that word...) bins. That's where the evidence is kept.

[Temotei]

The parents should leave town whenever the house gets dirty, and as long as the kid isn't obviously spiraling downward - don't ask, don't tell.

Disclaimer: not a parent (thank God)

That's such a bad policy (in my opinion). :smallsigh:

[Lioness]

I'd be more likely to clean up the house than have a party. I dislike parties. Especially raving mad teenage ones. Someone invited me to the afterparty for formal, and I was like, "Afterparty? I'm not going. I'm actually rather uncomfortable at parties."

So yeah, I wouldn't throw one.

[Stormthorn]

Has anything been Ironed?

Thats when you know somethings up....

Or if the house is clean but to do it they went through a bag of kitty litter and half a bottle of bleach.