Make Your Bed!

As I wake up every morning, I sit up after stretching my legs and leave my bed to do whatever I need to do. And at night I get into the bed just as I left it, messy with the residual evidence of someone just got out of bed. (As seen as above. But the white pillow is new and was just thrown onto the bed)

While growing up, this was not the case. I'm not sure if the majority of parents force their children to make their beds but my parents definitely did (Just like in Leave it to Beaver!). Making our beds was forced upon my siblings and me just like saying good morning and good night to my parents in Chinese was. But unlike saying good morning/night, making my bed didn't continue to be part of my daily routine throughout my life. But there is no doubt that it has affected my habits. As a child, I would tuck in my blanket under the sides of the bed but just enough so I could fit in it while still tucked. This way, I would get in and out of bed without having to completely adjust everything but just smooth the blanket to look clean. This technique was especially useful when I was bottom bunk. I was and still am about being as efficient as possible!

I never understood why my parents forced us to make our beds (which led me stopping the habit in middle school). I didn't care if my room and bed looked messy and I still don't. I guess with all my stuffed animals growing up, it would be tough to pass out comfortably (which I often do). It isn't much work to just move it while sleeping though. But in the long run it was beneficial, it taught me about how to learn good habits. I wonder what my parents' reasoning behind it was. Maybe it was just what their parents did or it was just to force us to do something we didn't want to do (what most children believe, I think). Maybe they think it's a great routine to start off the day since it's mindless and you can just relax while making the bed (if you don't think about it as a chore).

Unconsciously, I think the habit of making my bed may have resulted in my organized behavior, even if it seems to be a mess to an outsider. I like to know where everything is; organized chaos, as the phrase goes.

So do you make your bed in the morning? If so, is there any particular reason? Maybe I can be convinced to make my bed in the morning which involves swinging of my arms like we're playing with the parachute in elementary school (Maybe gym class was trying to make us better bed makers...)

Or is making the bed seen as exercise...