<rant> Most of you know I have a little trouble controlling the messes in my house... this past week I have turned into a FLYing freak of control and cleanliness... I gave the kids each a chore chart with pictures of tasks they needed to do. If they did one thing a day by the end of the week it would be all finished and I told them they would earn a trip to the park. I did NOT include cleaning their room on the chore chart because it's an absolute complete disaster (they learned from Mamma so Mamma was gonna clean it with them this Saturday)... They have not done one single thing that was on their charts so tonight I turned into Drill Sergeant Iggy.... I blew up entirely and in a very deep tone ( I did NOT yell) told them to get their booties movin' and pick up all their outside toys that they wanted to keep and all their inside toys that they wanted to keep... THEY IGNORED ME! So I grabbed the BIG OL' STINKY trashcan from outside and started throwin toys away... Of course they immediately started crying... My dilemma... do I drag the toys back out that I've been tripping over in the living room? They have a VERY nice sized bedroom even if there are two people living in it and a two HUGE toy boxes... I don't even expect them to arrange anything... Just dump it in the toybox... I feel badly because I know I tossed a few things that the kids just got for their birthdays but dammit... if I keep steppin on them Im gonna break em and have to throw em away anyhow... ANNNNND... (yes, I know this isnt a parenting rant room but I know alot of y'all are parents) do I keep up the 'if its not put away it gets thrown away' attitude ... I feel like my dad ... wonder if he would loan me that snow shovel LOL </rant>
Iggy, if you give in, then they win. Stop feeling guilty. Don't throw the toys away, put them in a huge clear box in the basement or in another room. when they do what they are SUPPOSED TO DO, or something exceptional that they weren't supposed to do, then they earn a toy back. Banging your sister upside the head... lose a toy. Help your sister put away her laundry, earn a toy. Also, there should be a rule, a toy brought to the living room without permission gets put in the naughty box. Now, I know you've been over at flylady, and flylady says, that your kids can't just "know" what to do, because unfortunately, you've not been able to teach them. Set a timer ever night for 15 minutes, and everyone (including you and hubs) gets up and does their chores as fast as possible. 4 ppl = one hour of work YOU have to do.
Hey that is a good idea! And kids can be SOOO agravating! You dont want to be mean mommy but sometimes........ Usually when i try that I'm gonnna throw it in the trash thingy I get "ok throw it away!" UGH! My kids are brats! LOL But love em to no end! (I dont like using the "to death" phrase)
Exactly! I do that with mine even though she's only 3. I throw toys in a big ol garbage bag and put it in the garage like it's getting thrown away. When she's not around or sleeping it goes in the basement. I got sick of stepping around toys and even at 3 she should be able to toss toys into a toybox.....but nooooooooo. Whine, excuse (I got an owie, I'm hungry, I'm I'm I'm.......AKKKKKKK) Does it work so far? Nope not really I get a tantrum most of the time but one of these days it will have to stick....won't it? (lie if you have to but tell me it will) We don't do this daily or anything but if it's going to be a battle of wills I've decided that I'm going to win Shhhh don't tell but I make sure I pick up her least fav things first so that if she does start an effort to pick up some things then it's not the best things. I've learned a few things in the last months (since she's perfected "whine") is never cave and never make idol threats. Oh yeah and they really are smarter than we are GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sell them on Ebay......The trash can and all..........forget giving them back.....Next time they will take you seriously...thats the whole point!! When you say clean and they don't you can say "ok, but if I do you know where they will go......." toy are replacable in abundance OMGGGGGGGGGGG even if you throw them out...ugggggggggg 20 more will show for the funeral..Pardon my expression..... I have thrown so many out....they don't keep toys in the living room anymore...still working on them keeping their own rooms clean, but at least that is their space! what is important is that they start taking you seriously and this is your opportunity...trust me!!
I have thrown many a toy away throughout the years. I DO NOT feel bad about it, and the girls now know, if mom says she's gonna throw it out, they better get it picked up. This is one of the very few things I actually follow through with. A messy house drives me bonkers! Otherwise, they walk all over me!
Yeah sometimes you have to make your point clear and sometimes you have to do what you dont really want to do to get it across to them. Back before vacation Kayla had a friend over and they were suppose to get up early that morning and come to work with me and my inlaws were gonna pick them up at my work (its a half way point) and take them back to their house for a couple days. Well I told her before I went to bed (had been telling her for a week) to get her room cleaned or I would leave them in the bed and they would not go. Well sure enough i got up that morning peaked in her room and they never even touched it, and so I left. She called me about 8:00 WHY DIDNT YOU WAKE US UP!!?? I ASKED HER, WHAT DID I TELL YOU LAST NIGTH? So they missed going to Amory. But I guarntee next time she will do what she is told.
