to want to throw away every toy my dc own?!

[cleaninglady]

okay i know i am but i am so fed up of clearing up toys!!! and tbh its not normally my two who are the culprits its other peoples children. My dd has a playroom up on the top floor of house and i went up there this morning for the first time in a few days and there was stuff everywhere - then she had a visitor and now its beyond hope!! and i mean boxes with broken lids, broken pen holders, dvd snapped in half etc etc so then had the family room and playroom to clear up and am exhausted with it all! i know they need to play and we have limited toys downstairs but still seem to be constantly picking up constantly.... okay rant over......

15 mins before home time - "right tidy up"

remember in future - other peoples kids tidy up too.

I fume about this too. We don't have a playroom and dds have to share a bedroom too, so I tell them they must put away what they were playing with before getting out the next thing(s). However, it falls on deaf ears most of the time and I end up tripping over stuff all the time.. Grrr!!

I find it really difficult to ask other peoples kids to tidy up any ideas anyone!! i genuinely think they have too much stuff though - the playroom is just my dd's as she is 5 and will go and play for a while quite happily but it is packed with dolls, cots, dolls clothes, dolls houses etc etc

• ds is 2.5 so he is downstairs for play but have noticed he hasnt missed any of the masses of toys that have been spirited away in the night

As somebody else has noted, just intone a 'tidy up time' if you know when your guests are going to be leaving. If you don't, just look for those tell tale clues from the responsible parent and go for it from there

Agnes

i think the problem i have is that the children who cause the most mess dont have "responsible" parents and are quite happy to just wave their goodbyes and be on their way - maybe the lesson to be learned is to not invite them anymore i ask my dc's to at least attempt to put some toys away at other peoples houses!

i mean the children and parents i know not all children

oh nooo even if other peoples children come here they help tidy up. I dont care what they do at home while I am looking after them we have tidy up time.
Also anything broken is binned simple as that

have 'tidy up time' 10 mins before they go. if they dont help then dont invite them back - simple.

as for too many toys. go through a box at a time and anything broken show your dc and tell them you'll be getting rid as it is broken. any tantrums and tell them they will go in the bin anyway

I used to go around after my toddler DD picking up toys (and I'm not a naturally tidy sort of person myself) as she went on play dates even if the other parent told me not to bother. I wouldn't be impressed if soemeone else didn't offer to help tidy up or make their children pick up any mess if they played around my house.

Maybe just invite neat freaks around next time!

I teach Y1, and at tidy up time at school, we play the tidy up tune (which is Nina Simone's My Baby Just Cares For Me - don't ask) and the challenge is to get it done by the time the song is over and be ready on the carpet. It occurs to me that this just might work at home too? I have a Y1 age child, but he is (luckily) quite into tidying up, so haven't had to do it yet myself. I will try it though if I have to.

ooo good idea about the song ! then i can start playing it when i want people to leave and they will ask what it is for and i can say it tidy up song time!! my own two arent to bad actually but some be able to drop hints to visitors would be good! if its just playdates where i have their children its easier - i just struggle trying to ask other peoples children to tidy up when their parents are sat there completely oblivious to what im on about -

i do this too
i'm a childminder and have different songs for different things
tidy up time, sleep time, meal time, play time etc

it does work even as young as 18mths take note and follow the other children

also i have stacks of toys but the children chose 3 boxes at any one time and these toys are played with till tidy up time

Probably unreasonable but quite understandable. Have just hoovered my kids' rooms and it took blardy hours! Because everything was all over the floor. I'm an athsmatic and have wondered in the past about playing the house dust mite allergy card to get DH to back me up more about putting things away sometimes (he's a messy bugg*er too!). We have enough soft toys to populate a zoo...

I have 3 tubs, ds gets to play with the contents of one every week. I do a swop and he doesn't even realise, he's only 17 months though

perhaps its just me but your dd is 5 ? and you haven't been in her playroom for a couple of days ?? If she/visitor is breaking things don't you hear ? Don't you poke your head round the door as few times ?

I really must stop it with the ?

I know how you feel, Today I took the boys back to school and then went to DH1s to clean up (boys there this weekend) and I picked up 7 vidoes not in their boxes, 9 DVDs, 7 PS2 games, 6 pairs of shoes (DH1s) endless toys, did 3 loads of washing, striped all the beds and sorted out the ironing!!
Some days I just want to get a skip

yaddayah lol at ?
i dont normally not go in but its on the top floor of 3 storey house and we dont normally go up there unless for something specific and no, cant hear from ground floor unfortunately ! think i might just stop other children going up there but seems a bit harsh oh well soon they will be demanding money to go into town to buy make up and cd's and i will be wishing for these days........... maybe.........

kimi - actually really impressed at how much you got done

Fair play cleaning lady,i'm afraid i still tend to hover slightly when my ds (also 5) has friends over, i just pop my head round the door and ask if they want a drink/snack so they don't think i'm checking up on them

Re: breaking toys, i am harsh, i have in the past taken away the majority of his toys until he can play with them properly (only had to do this once) he didn't think i'd do it, and tbh it was a pain as they were all locked in the garage, but he does treat his stuff with a lot more respect.

Comments from others on tidying up with playmates i agree with .. tidy up song is a bit twee but it works !

Gawd i sound like a nightmare mother reading that back !!

well had the same playdate over after school today (im suspecting a theme) and i checked on them a couple of times - the playdate at the time emptying out my dd's wardrobe for something to wear so got her and dd to tidy up playroom and bedroom and then come back down - her mum was looking at my like i had gone mad so i made a point of saying we have new rules and even playdates help clear up otherwise they dont come again - after looking sheepish she enthuastically backed me up

oh and you dont sound like a nightmare mother at all ! i have done the removal of toys things on numerous occasions! i think i have got into the habit of trusting dd to go off upstairs on her own but should keep an eye out more when other kids here !

i got rid of dc's toys years ago.
they still play. but with each other. or stuff in the house.