DD 8 is a whirlwind of chaos

[Edenspirits]

My DD 8 loves making stuff, cutting up material, making dolly beds and Teddy dens and painting and drawing and creating stuff.

The problem is that she does it in every single room of our tiny house and it’s wearing me out. She’ll create havoc in her own room then the lounge & then I just came into my own bedroom & she had filled it with toys and teddies and dens and stuff. I feel like I am constantly tidying up chaos and mess!

Aibu to ask for your tips on what to do about it? I don’t want to restrict her play especially at the moment but also at the moment I do need some calm space to myself that’s not taken over with things. I literally feel like I spend all my time trying to firefight the madness! My DS was never really like this so it’s a bit of a shock that an 8 year old can trash a house in hours!!

Aaarrrrgghh!

She's not allowed to play in my bedroom.
You need to find a way to get her to tidy up. For us, she won't get dinner unless she's cleared her stuff of the table. Constant reminders to put away before she gets another game out. I've started to include putting (folded) laundry away before bed time else no story. And if it's a mess I've asked her to clear up several times throughout the day, that too. If she asks for a snack I'll answer that I asked her to do x...

I'm trying to take it easy till theyre back in school again and then we can get calmer, more routined and organised. It will come naturally when her time at home is limited.

Sounds like my 8yo DD! And it's hard these days when I'm WFH so can't shadow her constantly. Not that I want to anyway.

I have the kids a designated room for doing this shit. Crafts (including scissors) are kept out of reach so they have to ask for them, and I never give too much. And they have to tidy up whatever mess they make before bedtime (I help) for their pocket money at the end of the week. I never bother to tidy in the day. It's utterly pointless. Like eating Oreo's whilst brushing your teeth.

Also Sometimes there's a lot of value in letting mess go. If DD has made a bed for her teddies out of old shit I leave it for a few days then sneakily dismantle it when she won't notice

You dont have to restrict what she plays but surely you can restrict where she plays it? What possible need could she have ri play in your bedroom? And, at 8, she can be expected to clear up one room (maybe with support from yourself) before trashing another.

One of my dds was a real crafter so we got a bookshelf for all the craft stuff. Organised like a school with everything labelled and accessible. She knew where everything went so put things back as it was easier. She also stayed there because everything she needed was in one place.

My dc are only allowed in my bedroom if they are invited in.