“Pick up your sock. Put your toothbrush back in its place.” Nagging your kids can get real old real quick. So one creative mom who has gotten “sick of the sound of her own voice” has found a new way to scold her kids without even opening her mouth.

Trying to get the little ones to pick up after themselves, she started leaving sheets of paper with the legendary “Are You Kidding Me” meme next to the things they leave behind. Yes, the meme might be old, but it certainly gets her point across.

Photos of her “notes” went viral all over the Internet. However, it wasn’t until Mum Junkie, a parenting Facebook page, shared them on its wall that they really blew up.

Image credits: Mum Junkie

Image credits: Soy una mamá cansada

Whether it’s teaching a child how to clean up a spill or reminding a child to pack their lunch for school, every parent has to give their child instructions. But nagging is something different. When parents nag, they repeatedly remind children of their chores and obligations. The fundamental issue with nagging is that the parent takes on responsibility for the child. Rather than a child worrying about completing her own homework, for example, the parent manages the child’s time for them.

If this is the case and you want to stop, remember that empathy is key to understanding why your child isn’t listening. Maybe it is as simple as feeling overwhelmed. After all, an endless list of tasks can seem boring and irrelevant and cause kids to ignore their parents.

Image credits: Soy una mamá cansada

To make everything more compelling, Good Therapy advises working as a collaborative team.

For example, include your child in discussions about family goals. Solicit your child’s input on which tasks they think are fair and how frequently they should do them. Make it clear.

Next, get your child invested in family life. It can be really tough to motivate a kid to mow the lawn when they don’t care how the house looks, for instance. Likewise, kids may not want to clean their room if they feel like you’re forcing them. Helping kids see the benefits of these tasks—easily finding toys, for example—may help.

Image credits: Soy una mamá cansada

It might be a good idea to allow your child to decide how to do the tasks you ask them to complete. Don’t force them to complete homework at a specific time, in the room of your choosing, while you stand over their shoulder. Instead, giving your child age-appropriate freedom to make decisions can improve compliance.

Also, educate yourself and recognize what is and is not developmentally typical. A four-year-old, for example, can’t anticipate plans for tomorrow, and a six-year-old can’t set long-term goals. Keep in mind that your expectations have to be reasonable.

Image credits: Soy una mamá cansada

Don’t forget to make time and space for your child’s goals as well. Are there things they want you to do—such as play basketball or help them paint their new chest of drawers? Negotiating time to do the things your child wants can help them feel like you value them and their time, potentially ending the fight over chores.

And of course, be direct. Tell your child what you want them to do, and make sure they know how to do it. Don’t be passive-aggressive or attempt to guilt-trip your child.

If all the above fails, who knows, maybe printing memes all over the house isn’t such a bad idea?

Image credits: Soy una mamá cansada

Vicki Broadbent of Honest Mum said she can understand the mom’s frustration here

Image credits: Duncan Cuthbertson

Vicki Broadbent, a writer, director, broadcaster, and founder of the parenting blog Honest Mum, told Bored Panda that sometimes a visual like the angry face can express and emphasize exactly how you’re feeling without spiraling into shouting. “It can make children sit up and take note,” the author of Mumboss: The Honest Mum’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving at Work said.

“I think the ideal scenario here would be for her to follow up with a discussion with her children when she feels calmer so she can articulate what drove her to create the [prints] and express how she’s feeling,” Vicki explained, adding that the mom needs to come up with a plan of action for the family where the children have a chore list they stick to. “Otherwise, they’re penalized with, say, reduced tech or play time so they can cement a routine.”

The Honest Mum said that children thrive on boundaries. However, if you deviate from your regular schedule due to holidays or other reasons, that’s absolutely fine too. “Within days, you can regain the structure back, and everyone will feel happier for it.”

The photos inspired moms and dads to share their creative tactics as well

And plenty of other parents said they will try out this approach too

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