Charles Dickens Was a Stickler for Neat Bedrooms

It seems odd taking parenting advice from the guy whose best-loved characters were orphans, but a new biography on Charles Dickens is apparently shedding light on the OCD way to get your kids to clean up their rooms. The Oliver Twist and Great Expectations‘ author had a penchant for making inspections of his kids’ bedrooms and leaving them detailed notes when he decided they weren’t up to snuff. Perhaps his desire for having everything ship-shape and bristol fashion came from a childhood spent sharing an attic bedroom with four other Dickenses?