Monday, April 2, 2012

IN. THE. TRASH!

I was sitting in the kitchen checking my Facebook, Email, and the like. I hear this conversation coming from the girls.

A: You NEVER EVER play with these toys! I am SICK AND TIRED of seeing them laying around. I'm throwing them in the TRASH!

B: Lots of fake crying

A: That. Is. It! I told you a zillion times to CLEAN UP THESE toys! Now they're IN. THE. TRASH!

B: a bit panicked No! Don't throw them away for real Adelae!

A: I told you I'M SICK OF IT!

Lots of giggles

As you can guess, this is a conversation we've had more than once in this house. I've never actually resorted to throwing their toys away. Mostly because I'm a pack rat. And I hate to think of all that money going in the trash. We bought those toys with our hard earned money. I can't see just pitching them. I know of some parents that have though.

I think the mess associated with kids is something all parents struggle with. I know there are parents out there that manage to keep a perfectly clean and clutter free house, even with little ones. I'm not one of them. I wish I were, but I'm not. I'm more about the play than the clean up. As a result, our house is rarely, if ever, truly clean. About once a week I get fed up with the mess and I demand the kids pick up. This results in the "If you don't clean up, I'm throwing your stuff away" conversation.

I was sort of hoping one of my kids would have that "neat" gene that makes them want to clean up all the time. So far, that hasn't happened. It's a constant struggle to get them to pick anything up. It's not just toys. It's dirty clothes, dishes, dress up clothes, and just about anything else they get out. I hear "But I HATE to clean up" at LEAST once a day. For almost a week we had them cleaning up two times a day. It was amazing! Then work, life, and laziness got in the way. I find it hard to be the enforcer when I've been at work all day. I just want them to be happy and have fun. I don't want the few hours I have with them to be spent yelling about cleaning up.

I wish I had a magic wand. Or some Mary Poppins type magic. I would LOVE cleaning up if I could snap my fingers and BAM! clean house. What tricks do you use to get your kids to pick up? Tips for keeping the house clean? When I get home from standing on my feet all day, the last thing I want to do is stand at the sink and do the dishes, or walk around picking up all the junk that magically accumulates when we're gone. (Where DOES that come from anyway?!)I'm open to any tips that can keep us from struggling with the stuff all the time.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

LOL when you find out the answer to this problem let me know!