18-year-old Kayla Perkins explains what is in her bedroom, “I throw something on the floor and I know right where it is.” However, her parents, Steve and Deborah Perkins, of McKinney,Texas, haven’t caught on. Even Kayla admits that, at the worst, her room is a mess.

Most families at some point have at least one child whose room looks like a landfill (垃圾堆) .The mess can disturb the whole household. Dirty clothes pile up; dirty dishes get lost in the mess and smell bad; homework is lost; and valuable things are ruined.

Some parents let it go, believing that a bedroom is private space for children to manage as they wish. Others lecture their children, offer rewards for cleaning, or punish them when they don’t. What doesn’t work, parenting experts say, is constant lectures, verbal (口头的，言语的) threats or getting very angry. Mrs. Perking says they picked up all the clothes on Kayla’s floor and hid them. They cleaned everything up. When Kayla came back to a bare bedroom, there was screaming and shouting, “How can I live without my clothes?” Mrs. Perkins asked Kayla to earn her clothes back by doing housework. These days, she keeps her room clean.

Humour can help, too. For example, since Jessica, the 14-year-old daughter wasn’t bothered by the dirty clothes all over her floor, the whole family started using her room as a place to store dirty clothes. Her attitude changed after her family did that. By the time she gave in and cleaned up her room a few days later, even she was laughing.

Parenting expert, Jim Fay, also recommends that parents first ask children in a nice way to clean up and agree on a reasonable time limit. Children often behave better if you treat them in the way you would want to be treated by your boss at work - with respect and high expectation.

I was surprised to learn the sleeping arrangements at the log home we were sharing with my in-laws (岳父母) for the week — specifically that my young daughter had agreed to sleep in a first-floor bedroom by herself.

As we settled in, we discussed the number of deer we had spotted on our way up to the log home.

“I hope we see a bear or two this week!” my wife shouted.

At bedtime, my wife and I climbed to the upstairs loft, and my in-laws headed for a bedroom on the first floor. We were about to doze off when our daughter appeared with a worried look on her face. She said a bear was scratching at her window. I decided it would be best if I slept downstairs and my daughter shared the loft with my wife. On my way down, I passed my father-in-law; asleep in front of the television. I was in bed only a couple of minutes when I heard a tap ... tap on the window. Something was indeed out there, but it wasn't a bear — at least that’s what I told myself.

Sometime later, I was awakened by a loud, low-pitched growl. I saw a large figure in the door and froze as it inched closer to me. I realized what it was —only after my father-in-law leaned in to give me a kiss. I blurted out in my deepest voice, “It’s David.” My father-in-law jumped back. We both laughed nervously at the awkward moment, and I explained his granddaughter's bedroom switch. I told him that the only thing scarier than a bear attack was Papa Bear coming in to kiss me good-night. He growled in agreement!

How to Contribute to Thanksgiving Dinner As a Teenager

Your family has been stressing out about hosting this year's Thanksgiving meal for weeks now, and you want to help out. The problem is, you're only a teenager.【小题1】

Go grocery shopping. If you have enough time and the food hasn't been purchased yet, ask your parents if you can do the grocery shopping for them.【小题2】If you don't have a car and walking to the grocery store or biking there isn't a choice, ask if you can go to the grocery store along with your parents to make the shopping process easier.

Clean the house. A clean home is the best setting for Thanksgiving dinner.【小题3】Clear an area for guests to put their shoes, coats, and bags so they aren't in the way.

Set the table. It will save your parents’ time, so they can finish preparing the meal. If you're using place cards, put wine glasses at the seats of guests who will be drinking. Some guests may have their kids seated at the table.【小题4】

Plan a fun family activity. This is a great thing to do when people are either waiting for the meal or looking for something to do after the meal. This is where you come in.【小题5】You may even take some family photos. They'll be happy that you captured these memories later.