Neatness Gene?

**AmyBoz** · 09-19-2005, 05:26 PM

So, we just spent a wonderful weekend in Ohio with my college roommate and her family.

On the way home, Rob turned to me and said, "This is not a slam at you, because we all live in the house, but how does she keep the house so neat and tidy?" I laughed because I had been wondering the same thing. Then, I thought back to college. She's always been that way. Her side of the room was always neat and clean. Mine...not so much. Organization came to me later in life.

Anyway, they have a beautiful house and they have stuff in it, but it's just neat and clean all the time. Not just because we were there.

So, my question is...do you think some people are just neat by nature? Is neatness and organization nature or nurture? I say nature.

**canadian gardener** · 09-19-2005, 08:59 PM

nature. I learnt mine later. My sister, it came naturally from birth.

**graci42** · 09-19-2005, 09:39 PM

Fly Lady calls it BO...Born Organized. It just makes sense to them. It can be learned. Build routines slowly and they become habits you don't even think about!

Graci

**Emerald_Mommy** · 09-20-2005, 12:21 AM

Can it be both? I'm not ready to commit!

My parents are very disorganized in some ways (pack rats) and very organized in others (scheduling, planning for the future, etc.). People in my family & my friends think I'm organized and most of the time I agree but sometimes my house just "gets away" from me and I have to really focus to get it back the way I want.

**forestdale** · 09-20-2005, 12:53 AM

My sister and I shared a room when we were young. Her side was always so pristine that I HAD to mess up her drawers sometimes.

Now that we are both in our 50s, she's untidy and I'm neat.

Now with my own kids, older son is messy, the younger one is a neat freak.

**babetteq** · 09-20-2005, 01:00 AM

I think neatness is part of the program the aliens created for the implants.

I haven't been assimilated thankfully

**PrairieRose** · 09-20-2005, 04:03 PM

I swing from one to the other but my dmil definetly has the gene. She's the neatest person I've ever known. Dd#2 takes after her, and for the life of me I don't know how b/c Gripey is not neat by nature, not one bit.