From the category of “turning problems into opportunities” comes this gem from the WSJ, Clean Your Room … or Else, which is about Teenagers messy bedrooms. (Having a 12 year-old daughter this is an issue I have some experience with.)
Rather than threaten, badger or nag their messy Teen daughter to clean her room, one innovative couple decided to ask this “unlearning” question: “How can we make her room messier?”
One idea that sprung from the question was to turn her room into the family hamper … which is exactly what they did.
Needless to say after seeing her father’s sweaty work clothes and her little brother’s underwear on her floor, the teenager decided a clean room wasn’t so bad after all and she changed her messy ways.
Now, I’m not recommending this solution for every family but it is a good example of turning a problem into an opportunity.
For a related idea check out this old post:
