What's the best way to stay organized ?

[MommytoB]

I end up spending time to clean up our apartment just to have it destroyed within a week by my son because he wants to look for something so he starts dumping things out and he never picks up what he dumps out then moves to another room and dumps that area ,and if he still doesn't find it he will even dump both our clothes hamper which end up having clothes laying all over the floor . He will not pick them up and he will bring his toys into the living room & leave them there not picking them up .

He will even toss his garbage on the floor I tell him to pick it up and he just walks away so then I'm stuck with a 4 room mess which is what he created just by himself and I'm faced to pick up after him .

I will say No playing until you help me pick up to find out he will either head out the door or lock himself in his room.

So then he's soon to be 6 and can do the clean up at school but when it comes to home he makes the mess & it makes me look like an unkept housekeeper going and his grandma goes are you glad your away from there .

Sheeeeesh making it look like I created this mess myself yeah right .

[K1329]

I have the same troubles getting my kids to clean up their messes! What has been working for us is "dangling the carrot". Ok, we'll go swimming after we pick up the toys in the living room. We'll turn on the movie after we put all of the dirty clothes in the hamper. Also, giving small tasks, pick up the books, instead of just a "clean your room" type of thing.

I don't see any motivation in my kids to clean up on their own... I definitely seem to have to take a role in it. Hopefully, though, the habits will form and as they get older I won't have to supervise it as much.

Does anyone else have some good tips?

[velochic]

Originally Posted by MommytoB

but when it comes to home he makes the mess & it makes me look like an unkept housekeeper going and his grandma goes are you glad your away from there .

Sheeeeesh making it look like I created this mess myself yeah right .

I'm not sure what you are saying here... could you clarify? Is there more than just picking up his messes?

For me, I have to clean every day. At least a little bit. I can't wait a week between picking up and cleaning. We are all very tidy, but even in a week, my house would be in disarray. Perhaps you can set up a daily task list for both of you.

What works for us is that until a task is completed (for example picking up the polly pockets or legos that are on the living room floor), nothing else can be done. And be firm about it.

Also, I'm somewhat of a neat freak, so dd sees me cleaning all the time. She enjoys participating in the chores that I do, as well. I'll give her a cloth and vinegar/water solution to go around and clean counter tops, televisions, and various other non-wood surfaces. This gets her excited about helping, in general, and at her age (8) she now does about as good a job as I would, so it really is helpful.

I feel that if she sees me cleaning each day and I am willing to help her (as she is willing to help me), then it keeps everything in its place, all neat and tidy. Perhaps that is the key. He helps you and you help him. Good luck!

[newbymom05]

Mine is only 5, so maybe it'll get more difficult, but I make him go back and pick up. If I have to, I'll (gently) take his arm and guide him back to where he needs to go and stand over him until he does it. Honestly, if he refused to pick up a toy, that toy would go in the garage for a long time. I would seriously pack up all his toys and leave him with only one or two before I'd put up with him repeatedly making a mess for me to clean up. JMO, but it sounds to me like he has too many toys.

[MamaSmurf29]

If I could start over I would've done this from the beginning:

*Keep all the toys in locking cabinets with labels as to what they are. As a former preschool teacher that was the way we did it - ESPECIALLY with art supplies. Otherwise the place woulda been a painted tornado zone.



When the child wants something he just asks and you get it out and then he can't have anything else until he's done playing with it and puts it back. I mean 2 or 3 things at a time could be OK depending what they are, just not everything all at once.

Right now we keep a lot of things in little tubs on top of the fridge. This doesn't work once they realize they can get on a chair and try to reach it so IMO locking cabinets or chests are a lot safer.

Also, a big part of organizing is just having less stuff. Take a good look and see what you can live without. Maybe someone else needs it more. I need to do that too.

[K1329]

I agree with newbymom... if he refuses to pick up one of his toys, then maybe he should lose his turn with it for awhile. Not in an angry way, but, just that he's lost his turn until he's ready to take care of the toy by putting it away.
What I don't agree with is locking toys away. I want my kids to learn to respect their stuff and our home and be able to do so on their own. Without me having to deal with a key.

Good luck!

[MommytoB]

Thanks and I'm defintly thinking of getting rid of some of his toys because he doesn't really use as much as he has .

I been trying to get clothes together to donate for the charity that are stuck in bags . It's like Ugh he will dump those out even though i will say your toys are not in there .

Clothes we wear then put into the hamper he will dump them out looking for something.

The toy locking cabinet sounds like a good thing indeed . But what about clothes that I try to get into a organized area and then plop .

[peaceful_mama]

clothes are my least favorite thing. The only advice I have is to put the clean stuff away *immediately* Which i do not do. And that is why there are piles of clean clothes not put away. I hate DOING it.

[GuildJenn]

My son's almost-5. We:

- rotate toys (although less and less because my son has Big Ideas That Require Bunches Of Toys) so that some are on a rest in a closet

- tidy up at least once a day, together (although we often agree to leave the trains out, or whatever). Having a set time helps a lot because it's less of an argument - it's just what. we. do. and not a sudden interruption. I try not to bug him too much in between regular times unless it's especially crazy and we're about to go out, or someone is coming over, or something.

- I still do provide the bulk of the work of making sure toys have homes and that the finer sort is done, like separating ancient Egypt Playmobil from tree house Playmobil (just 'cause they have separate bins)

- dirty clothes go in the hamper, washcloths and towels are hung up, dirty plates go in the dishwasher as a matter of course -- not that I don't have to dole out reminders.

I truly believe, though, that play is the "work" of children and I try to remember that sometimes I make messes that I don't get back to right away in the name of my "work" (either actual work, or something like pickling, Xmas wrapping, etc.)

[Alyantavid]

Declutter and have a routine.

We pick up before bed, before meals, whenever the mess is just too much for me to take. We also have a puppy right now so toys that don't get picked up get eaten so that's a pretty good incentive for my kids.

[spirit4ever]

I do the whole 'you can watch tv AFTER the room is picked up' or whatever it is that we are going to do.

I also run a home daycare, so theres also organization and routine, we pick up before snack, before lunch, before nap and before they are getting picked up to go home, at which point they can choose one toy to play with, if they want a diff toy they have to put away the toys their playing with first.

Also, as far as routines go...

for example:

as soon as oldest ds1 comes in the door from school (as an example), he must wash his hands, put important papers in my paper holder on the kitchen counter, place his lunch box on the counter (although now that he's getting older he even has to empty it and put dirty containers in the sink) and then hang up school bag/jacket/shoes before he goes off to play.

at bedtime once p'j's are on BEFORE storytime or snuggle time all dirty clothes need to be placed in the hamper, we've done it since day 1 and now all 3 kids do it, it's just become habit.

good luck