I've been participating in a few conversations this past week about how to handle your kids' messy rooms. I've read lots of good advice and even given some good advice ;) about what to do when your kid(s) leave their room a mess but when I think about what to do with my own kids, I can't figure it out!
There is the move it or loose it approach: What they leave out gets picked up by mom and they have to do something to earn it back and if not earned back in a week, it gets donated. While I like this idea, I don't know if it is right for us. 1. I have a hard time parting with their toys. They only get things at Christmas so I feel bad for getting rid of something someone else bought them or I just don't want to get rid of a perfectly good toy that still gets played with on occasion. 2. I don't have anywhere to store a container big enough to hold all the toys I would be kidnapping! 3. Abigail is responsible for a lot of the leaving out, even of the older kids' stuff so I never know who left what out.
Then there is the big clean up on Saturday approach. Seems like we do this no matter when they cleaned their room last! I was raised cleaning my room on Saturday's before I could do anything else. I don't remember it mattering much the rest of the week. But I also don't remember my room ever being as bad off as Hannah and Ryan can get their room during the week!
Then there is the little clean ups everyday. This is where I struggle. And this is probably the approach that would work best for us. I can make up lots of reasons why we can't fit this in: during the week, after supper it is showers, read books and go to bed. It is hard to make time for cleaning up when you want to have your kids in bed around 7pm! Or the fact that their are some evenings when I am doing bedtime by myself for the kids and the last thing on my mind is putting toys away. Ifn fact, I know of at least one night this week that Brad will be out of town. But, those are excuses. I need to make this part of our evening schedule. I think I just solved my own problem! =)
Any advice??
What about keeping Ryan and Hannah's door closed so Abigail cannot drag stuff out. They should not be responsible for cleaning up HER mess.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I'm one of those people who doesn't want you getting rid of stuff we bought for them with our little income!
Maybe you did just solve your own problem. 10 extra minutes a night would not be hard to handle!
AND, if they would put their clothes in the hamper when they remove them.....instead of the floor.....THAT in itself would make a BIG improvement! They are (maybe) too young yet, but remember I used to say if it wasn't in the hamper it didn't get washed!
Maybe to take care of the paper in the floor, limit the paper to the kitchen table! Or the storage bins.
The solution I'm going to try is I took a BUNCH of stuff out of her room. A lot of it was junk, some could be donated, and some could be brought downstairs with her other toys. Not much is left and there are lots of open shelves. We're going to try a quick clean up every day - just throw the stuff on open shelves/in the closet (she was cleaning an hour at a time - twice a day. It would have taken me 2 minutes, but she took FOREVER and I refused to do it for her - that was exactly the reason she was dragging her heels - she wanted me to do it). Then we're going to pull out the quick clean up stuff from the week and put it away properly on Saturdays. I think getting rid of all the clutter and keeping what she actually uses is key.
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