Halfway Sam

What is it with children doing things halfway?? Yesterday, I told an unnamed child to fill the liquid soap dispenser in the bathroom with some liquid soap I handed her. She did and returned the empty jar to me. I asked where the lid was and the response was, "Oh. It's in the bathroom." Ok. So last night when I went to take a shower, I noticed the filled soap dispenser right where it should be....with the pump lid lying on the sink right next to it. It was a huge spill just waiting to happen. Why?? Why can't we actually finish anything? Or do it correctly?

Also, last night, another unnamed child had dish duty. We don't have a dishwasher, so we actually have to wash dishes by hand. Well, just before bed I walked into the kitchen to get some water and noticed the mess. The dishes were mostly done and the dishwater was emptied, but the counters had not been wiped off. The crock pot had not been emptied and put to soak. The sink had not been rinsed from the yucky dishwater. The rag and scrubber were sitting in the sink, mushed from the water sucking out. The tray from the cooked bread sat in the toaster oven, not cleaned. Again, WHY? Why don't we finish things? By the time I found both of these things, the girls were in bed, sound asleep.

There have been numerous other times I have found things half done and it's very frustrating. Oh, I know, "make them go back and finish it", and for the most part, I do, except when they have gone out or to bed. But, my question is why must they do it in the first place? Now, I'm sure I did the same things (I'm sure my mom will post a story in my comments about me doing the same stuff, so watch for it! lol), but when do they finally grow out of it? Of cutting corners? Hey, sometimes I still try to cut corners, but now there's no one to pick up my slack except me, so I just do it right the first time. See, the kids don't care if it's done correctly or completely and they don't even care if anyone finishes their undone work. They just want to get done and if it looks like crap, who cares? If I don't come behind them and finish it , they don't care. I guess they figure it doesn't matter, since it'll just get undone again anyway. I feel the same way sometimes. But, when will it click for them that it needs to be done right the first time? I dont' remember when it clicked for me. The closest thing I remember, is when we were first married. I always had to do the dishes at my parents home when I was growing up, and once I got married, I realized I didn't actually HAVE to do the dishes. No one was going to make me. If I didn't want to, I didn't have to. And, I didn't....a lot. But, I finally realized that if I didn't clean them up, no one was. There was no one to come behind me and pick up my slack and if I wanted it clean, I'd actually have to do it. I guess that's when it "clicked" for me. Will I have to wait that long for my own kids to click?? If so, that's not fair, because I have to fight and lecture and punish and they won't even get it until they move out. That stinks!

Oh well. Any of you deal with this? And, how do you deal with it/correct it/punish it, etc? Give me your ideas! Please!!