My New Secret Weapon

Our Sanyo 1800 watt vacuum cleaner. It is by no means a secret weapon against household dirt, although it is helpful.

It is my secret weapon because Madelynn has figured out it sucks up stuff! And she's terrified it's going to be her stuff!

I'm not sure where this new fear developed from. I've never threatened her by telling her I'm going to suck up her toys. It wouldn't have worked anyway, Madelynn's no dummy. In the last week however something must have clicked.

I need to vacuum at least once a day around here with Aidan and Madelynn leaving crumbs around the house as if they were Hansel and Gretel. Aidan loves the vacuum, since he was mobile it is the thing he goes to. He now tries to ride it like a horse as I use it and Maddie fights him for it sometimes.

Yesterday and today I turned it on and she just freaked out! She started picking up anything that was on the floor and crying. I tried to reassure her that I wasn't going to suck up anything other than the popcorn crumbs but that didn't really sink in for her. The whole time my mind wasn't racing with "How can I help her overcome her fear?" it was "YES! I can now use this to make her pick up her toys!"

Does this make me a mean mommy? Part of me says yes, the other part sees a clean house in the near future. Well if nothing else the old Sanyo can go back to it's other secret weapon job..."guard dog" strategically staying in the path by the door so anyone breaking in the middle of the night will trip on it and wake us up.