[BNLsMOM]

I just saw a story about a family who lost their kids because there were clothes on the floor, the floor was dirty, and they had fruit flies.

My house is the same...

Now I am more afraid to let anyone in to see my house. I am a good and loving mother, but now I am afraid they'll take my kids.

I hate this. My husband says I am going over the edge a bit.

[Slothrop]

Good heavens...where did you see that? Lord knows our house has been like that more than once.

[bridgie]

There had to have been more to the story. Their usually is. Did they show pics to get a good view of how bad it was. Either way. You shldnt worry too much.

[leahcim]

In most states in the U.S. it takes alot more than that to have social services come in and take the kids away. Like one poster says above, there's probably more to the story.

In general though, the news is pretty horrific these days and I try to avoid it as much as possible. I used to be a news junkie but it just made me very depressed.

[BNLsMOM]

Thank you for all your encouraging posts.

Yeah, my husband left it on when he went upstairs to bed. They didn't show the inside of the house, so there probably is more to the story, but that has been one of me fears for a long time. To hear it on the news really got me going.

I hardly ever clean my house and I hate it when someone asks me to use the bathroom because with a husband a nd a 7 year old boy, they often miss the target. (no offense to guys out there it just happens in my house for sure)
Neither of them clean it up. The little guy is still in diapers and on a hot day, nothing contains the smell. Not even the diaper genie. We keep bananas on the counter becaus they turn black in the fridge and the kids won't eat them if they are black so we get fruit flies.
I only occassionally pick up the toys, I never pick up my clothes, and most days the sink is full of dishes until my husband gets home and he usually helps me out there. If someone came over around noon, they would see my house at its worst, and I am afraid one of my neighbors may really value a clean house and call DSS on me and I would lose my kids.

It is a fear I have always had, and how sick is it that it doesn't motivate me got get my s*** together and clean up around here?

Maybe as a gift, I could get someone to help me clean up and then maybe I could maintain it... who knows. Maintenance is not my strong suit either.

OK, I'll stpo posting now. I am realizing I am very down and I don't want to sit here complaining. Sorry about that.

[thinker22]

The only thing I feel I can offer besides hugs is a trick I learned about fruit flies. For any fruits or vegetables that you intend to leave out on the counter, as soon as you get them home from the store, wash them with soap and water. This washes off the fruit fly eggs so they can't hatch on your bananas.

It's one thing. And these days I know I can only focus on improving one thing at a time.

Hope you feel better soon.

[Slothrop]

I hear you BNLsMOM!! We have had such a bad time keeping our house clean. And yes, the toilets me and the boy use tend to get a wee bit messy...

We finally hired a cleaner, not that often, just a couple of times a month, but it is such a help. It's not that expensive, although just about anything is a stretch right now...but it's been worth it. The place is still cluttered, but it's no longer so DIRTY.

You can make a fruit fly trap with a glass, some vinegar, paper and tape! It really works to catch the adults, once you have cleaned up where the eggs are hiding. I think there are several pages that show how to do it, findable via Google. (Fruit flies LOVE vinegar, contrary to the popular saying! )

[BNLsMOM]

Thanks for the trap idea. I'll try it.