to wish people wouldn't tidy up toys when i ask the not to?

[PicaK]

Ok I KNOW I am really.

Here I am with lovely friends who all insist on putting toys away before they leave after our kids have been happily trashing my living room together. I love seeing the kids pull everything out and play with whatever they want.

But I fear I am shockingly anal. Everything has a place and I CRINGE as my mates cheerily shove little cars in the big car box, farmyard stuff in with the train track, sticklebricks in with the duplo etc etc.

This is despite my gentle protests of "no, no, it's fine really". And then it takes me 3 times as long to sort it out. (kids are too young to do it themselves yet.)

Just wondered if anyone else out there is similarly uptight?

Me. I am an uptight control freak too....just be honest. Say....I need to do it myself as I'm a bit Monica about where they go!

And laugh.

Ha ha! PicaK I feel your pain. I too have a tidying method and would rather just be left to it. I would be too to explain the system to my friends. It does, indeed, make the tidying process take way longer as you have to go through every box rather than just what is on the floor.

Er, no! Happy to have any help. Maybe you could try and relax a little? Start by putting the art stuff in with the books...

Just tell them, something like that should be an affectionate joke between friends.

Ooooh it brings me out in hives!

We have Ikea trofast storage in the living room and DSs bedroom and everything is sorted into its own drawer.
Then the big things, like big cars and tool box that don't fit in the drawers go into the big wicker basket, and then the big big stuff, like the garage and microphone stand next to the basket... hate watching as people just throw stuff into the basket... it might look like a jumble sale but thats because they're big toys that don't match/fit a drawer!

I feel your pain...

I have a very anal friend who has specific boxes and labels, the works . I just can't leave without putting some things away though, it just feels so rude to not tidy up when my children have pulled out every toy they can, demanded she gets out toys they remember playing with before but can't find, throwna few tantrums, pissed on the floor and then secreted bits of their snack between the sofa cushions. I do try to limit myself to the things I am certain about though and would never put stickle bricks in with duplo. My house is rather less organised but even I have a duplo bucket, a lego box, a brio box etc.

Put labels on the boxes

Big labels, maybe with a picture cut out and stuck on the front, will help the kids to take responsibility too.

If I was three and all my toys were in a mess and bits were missing and in places I couldn't find them it would do my head in.

YABU they are trying to help. Maybe you need to stick a picture on the front so that they don't have to use their psychic powers to know which one is the big car box and which is the little car box.

Life's too short to sort toys. You will be fighting a losing battle once the children get bigger.

Trust me, if your kids are old enough to have those toys they're old enough to tidy them up. Fair enough to help if you have had your friends and their kids over helping to make a huge mess.

I am as anal as you are and I would either (depending on who it is_

• (aquaintances) Just insist firmly that it's OK and I'll do it later on.

• (friends) Great, all the toys have a particular box, if you can work it out, go for it - if not leave me to do Monica myself

• (close friends) You know where they bloody well go, stop messing with me!!

We had a cleaner once (sadly no longer) who felt the only way she could make her presence felt was to move things around... she was lovely but... it nearly came to blows

Bumper - that ain't necessarily so

(losing the battle)

and life isn't too short to sort toys, life is much calmer when you know where everything is :)

Wuzzandbuddy - were we separated at birth?! I have the exact same units and system.

Is a relief to find there ARE kindred spirits out there.

And my friends are fabulous - i'd die rather than criticise them when their motives are good.

Argghhh! I have the opposite problem, although I have organised spaces I generally only sort them properly about once a week. My best friend doesn't even offer to help tidy and her DD gets out every toy in the house! Drives me nuts! Would rather they did it wrong/offered than not bother at all!

Well, we have some stuff separate, peppa pig tat, halothane and duplo but the rest is just chucked in baskets. I'm not sure if it is a girl thing. Boys stuff seems easier to separate, cars, blocks, things to hit people with . With the girls I find we have lots of pissy bits that go with various dolls and other crap.

To be honest, with a 3 year old and a baby I am just grateful if things are put away!

Lol, quite possibly!

People think I'm mad with my organising but I tell you something, I should be getting commission at Ikea now. Once people learn the system they're all at it now!
SIL has bought trofast, my friend is measuring up just about every inch of her house to see where she can squeeze more in and one of my best friends even has it in her hallway now!