A mum who became fed-up with tidying up after her three teenage children forced them to sign a cleaning contact – and fines them for every misdemeanor.
Katrina Neathey reached the end of her tether when she found mud on a new £1,200 carpet, just weeks after the upstairs of her home had undergone a complete refurbishment.
The 36-year-old called an emergency family meeting with Hayden, 19, Joshua, 18, and Olivia, 13 – presenting them each with a 10-point contract to sign.
Hayden and Joshua put pen to paper agreeing to a £5 fine for every rule they break, while Olivia has her phone taken away for one day per infringement.
Katrina has spent the last two decades cleaning up after the trio, as well as working as a cleaner by trade, and decided it was time they ‘learned the hard way’.
(Image: Tony Kershaw / SWNS)
The contracts have proved to be a huge success for the mum from Horsham, who says the ‘harsh but fair’ rules has whipped them into shape – meaning she’s only pocketed £20 so far.
“My kids are all teenagers so in my eyes they are all capable of keeping to simple rules,” she said.
“I tried to set up some basic ground rules after we did up the bedrooms but after a few days they were falling back into old habits.
“They’d hide dirty clothes or plates at the back of their wardrobe when I told them to tidy up. It’s as if they forget I’m a cleaner. I know exactly where to find things.
– No make-up in bedroom
– No eating in bedroom
– No juice or fizzy drink in bedroom – only water
– Make bed everyday
– All clothes must be hung up or put away
– Put dirty washing in wash basket
– Keep room tidy
– Put your washing up from downstairs in the dishwasher (empty if full)
– Put shoes/trainers away
– Put bag away
“I know the boys are only on apprenticeships and don’t earn that much so they’ll notice when £5 has gone out their pocket.
“We had a talk during the family meeting and I knew something needed to be done.
“When I first mentioned it to them they just thought it was hilarious.
“But I thought the only way they will listen is if I fine the older boys with money as they work and for Olivia to lose her phone.”
Katrina and her husband Gareth, a carpenter, completed a £4,000 make over of their four bed home, decorating all the bedrooms and fitting it out with new furniture.
When their offspring started to slip back into old habits, they decided to take a firmer stance and introduced the rules at the start of the year.
(Image: Tony Kershaw / SWNS)
“It might sound heavy but I just think it’s time they learn the hard way,” added Katrina, who runs a cleaning business with her twin sister Natalie.
“When they started school they were really good because I encouraged them to put all their toys away in their rooms.
“They never ate upstairs because I was controlling that as the adult.
“It was when I started the business and begun working longer hours that things started to creep in.
“They started getting into football and dance so all of us were rushing in and out of the door.
“As they grew older and technology and phones came into play, they would just prioritising chatting to their mates than helping out with the housework.
“Plus I started doing it for them. Countless time I’ve told them I wasn’t their slave but that was always short lived and they would hide things instead.
“The worst was when I found a used chopping board in the wardrobe.
(Image: Tony Kershaw / SWNS)
“I’ve also found other things like forks, bowls and milk bottles left to go off, all tucked away somewhere in the hope I wouldn’t find it.
“Pizza boxes were great as they kindly left the crumbs for me to follow them.
“To be honest the only one benefiting from their hidden gem was the dog.”
Josh, a carpenter apprentice, was fined three times in one day when two food wrappers were discovered in a shoebox and one down the side of his bed, and for clothes thrown into the wardrobe.
Hayden, who is training as a plumber, was caught once for not making his bed and their sister Olivia has lost her phone privileges for two evenings when a wrapper was found in her room.
Katrina said: “Gareth and I work hard to give them the best we can be as parents and sometimes it can become easy for them to take advantage of our generosity.
“Part of growing up is learning to respect property and those you look after you. And I think the contract will help do that.
“I’ve spent years cleaning up after them. Since I’ve introduced them it’s been great. I’m really pleased with how it’s going and it’s making my life so much easier.
“I don’t have to nag either which is great for everyone.
“I’m not looking for perfect bed making and things like that. It’s just knowing that they are trying and for me to see evidence that they have respect for their rooms, new furniture and me.”
