Works like magic- "mom's garage sale"

[southernmama]

Don't flame me- but after a month of constantly picking up toys in the main living area (sheesh- they have three rooms to keep their toys in!) I was fed up. While the kids were out with grandma I picked up all the out of place forgotten toys that were lying about.

Using sticky notes I made a "price tag" on each one- a chore that had to be completed in order to retrieve the object. Then I displayed them under a sign reading MOM"S GARAGE SALE. Whatever remained on the table by the next day at bedtime would be fair game for goodwill.

It was amazing- my kids thought it was fun- and without nagging completed all the chores assigned. Within 2 hours all but one item had been retrieved and I put it in the goodwill bag guilt free. Worked so well, I may try it with my husband's stuff. Wonder how much I could get for his cell phone? Maybe he'd put in those wood floors in the kids room? Try it- love to hear your results!

[FaithfulOne]

I LOVE your idea!!

We've been trying for years now to keep our kids toys etc out of our primary space. *We live in a really small townhouse and our dining/living areas are side-by-side and total about 600sqft*
I am making sale signs as we speak!...

[BarefootGirl]

Sounds like a neat idea!

[dealic]

I love that idea and will remember it when I have kids.

[fruitfulmomma]

My husband has been on me to do something like this with our kids. Maybe I'll try it out this next week.

[sapphire_chan]

It's a fun idea!

You're basically trading the work of cleaning up the toys for other work, yes? My only concern about this as a permanent solution is that you might be frustrated by having a toy mess to deal with still.

My first thought is "what is it about the main living space that they want to play there instead of the toy rooms?"

[Turquesa]

Originally Posted by southernmama

Don't flame me-

Why on earth would anybody flame you for such a creative idea? I love it!!

[MaerynPearl]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

My first thought is "what is it about the main living space that they want to play there instead of the toy rooms?"

(Im not the OP but this applies to my kids too)

As a SAHM my children are very close to me... they love playing in the livingroom where I work (and thus where they can bother me lol) rather than their rooms or the toy room. I work with them on it, of course, "the livingroom is not for playing in, if you want to be in here go get a book to read" but 20 minutes later they are back to playing in here.

[liliaceae]

I was worried you were going to say you actually sold all of their toys! This is much better.

[momasana]

Originally Posted by liliaceae

I was worried you were going to say you actually sold all of their toys! This is much better.

I thought the same thing! But I wouldn't have flamed for that, either. My folks once donated a big bag of things we had refused to clean up. We were really sad but it was a great lesson in taking care of the things we had.

I really like the chores/garage sale approach.

[southernmama]

I have no idea why toys come into the living room- the play room is literally attached with sliding glass doors to the living room and in full view of it!!! It is easily the best room in the house to be in like being outside, but in- so its not like they are stuck upstairs or off in a kids wing.

[Storm Bride]

I like this idea...although doing all the sticky notes sounds like more work than the cleanup, and I can't get to the cleanup most of the time. We may implement it.

Right now, dh is filling a big bag with stuff every weekend. That stuff will go into storage and be sorted out later. This place needs a lot of work.