The Clean up clause....

There's a life contract that everyone has in every association with everyone. The contract varies by age & titled (child, parent, employee, guest, relative, and so on) For example, in the contract for being a kid, there is a clean up clause. An entire section devoted to how to pick up after yourselves. In that contract, it clearly states that you are NOT to pick up after yourself. It goes on to state that if you don't pick up after yourself and a parental figure (or responsible supervisory person) requires this of you, you may, at your own option do one or several of the following:
a) pick up as requested,
b) vocalize your concern that said mess is not your responsibility (be creative with your wording, vary it from sentence to sentence, keeping adult in anticipatory suspense)
c) lay down and cry (it is expected that you steal an occasional glimpse at said adult to verify they maintain interest in your entertainment tactics)
d) claim ignorance "I don't know how"
e) express concern of being overwhelmed at this being "so much for someone my age" by stating "I need help" perhaps even pretend like you're going to be the obedient child, pick up the first item you see and then put it in the wrong place and lay it down incorrectly (for example, pick up your pants from the floor, then place them carefully and lovingly - but NOT neatly between the wall and your bed and tell the adult that this is where you like to keep your clothes so they don't get lost)

Of course, the adult has a contract as well. Given the same situation stated above you have your choice of reactions to each of the items described above. They are
a) (when a child does as asked) give praise
b) (when child utilizes the "not my responsibility" clause) let child know that said mess will not be picked up by you, but if it is, you'll be very dissapointed, then give child praise for not crying;
c) (when child exercies right to physically and vocally pitch a fit in "a-minor") quick take mess and throw it on top of child, so when they get up from their fit, technically, they are picking up their mess.
d) (when a child claims to not know how to bend over & pick things up) pull out the "old garbage bag" technique - grab a bag and threaten to show them how YOU like to pick up their mess and see if they want to demonstrate how they would like them picked up.
e) (when things are put away improperly) give child praise, send them out to play with other toys & make other messes - while you sneak in & pull towel out from bewteen bed & wall, you will undoubtedly uncover the flip flops, library book, last night's dinner, lost shoe, dirty underware, and YOUR bra...then you must pick up flip flops, libary book call the dog to help exhume last night's dinner, find mate for lost shoe, throw dirty underware in hamper & examine bra for wearability, then after re-cleaning the mess, find current location of child and repeat aforementioned "clean up request" clause for the newest, latest & greated mess...