Figured out my roommate's recycling was taking over the kitchen after 8 months of fighting

I spent way too long trying to talk to her about it until I just put a second bin in the hall for her overflow bottles and cardboard and it solved everything in two days. Has anyone else had a problem that took ages to fix with a simple change like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaret_jackson731mo ago

lol you basically trained her like a pigeon with an extra bin and it worked instantly

kevin_dixon13d ago

You gotta keep the reward consistent for a while, like a solid two weeks, before you start fading it out. I did the same trick with my youngest and the laundry basket, three treats in the first day and she was hooked. After that I slowly switched to just praise and the odd snack, and now she does it without thinking. The key is to never let them see you put the reward bin away or they'll lose interest fast. How long did you stick with the treats before pulling back?

victorb741mo ago

Funny how fast kids pick up on stuff when there's a clear reward in it... but makes you wonder what happens when the reward isn't there anymore. Did you see her try the old bin at all after that, or did she just give up on the whole idea? Always curious if shortcuts like that actually stick or if they just forget the whole thing the second you look away.