banning all toys for a week pending better behaviour

[duejuly2010]

My girls are 7 and 9. Basically despite warnings they continue to play after lights out, argue constantly, 9 year old is hitting, homework isn't being done after they've sworn it has been etc etc. I'm at my wits end especially after last night my 9 year old punched my 7 year old in the mouth giving her a cut lip!
They respond to the pc/ds being taken away for x amount of days with 'oh well, I don't play on it anyway'.
So I said last night after the lip incident that I'm going to ban all toys for a week, then if they've shown me they can behave more reasonably I'll reveiw the situation (I'll put them all in their walk in wardrobe and lock it).
I will follow this through as I don't make empty threats but am feeling guilty.

It sounds unreasonable to me.

If your posting name is anything to go by, there is a little one in the house, is there a possibility that they could be playing up to get attention and that you could have less patience than usual?

Have you tried explaining the problem to them and seeing if they can come up with solutions.
Perhaps the 9 year old could go to bed once the 7 year old has fallen asleep?

I have removed all toys to the loft before now and it had no effect. The DDs just played on the empty storage units, did drawing etc. they didn't seem to miss their toys at all [which is pretty galling but a whole other subject]
However since then the threat of the toys going again or worse going to the charity shop works wonders so maybe not a complete waste of time.
I also now restrict my threat and indeed actions to specific toys that I know are well loved.