To throw out anything I want?

[FabulousBakerGirl]

Been asking DS1 to tidy his room for weeks. He is 8 and it is a mess. I don't know where to start and I suspect he doesn't either.

I gave him the choice - he could do it or I would do it but some things might go.

He said he has done it.

I checked.

Not bad but still not how I want it.

wait until he is at school. then black bag anything you think he wont miss and shove it in the shed for 6 months,

i did my girls room yesterday.

3 black bags of rubbish

1 black bag of times to hide away

loads of dd1 inhalers.

i'd leave it if i were you, 8 year old boys mess just multiplies whatever you do

He is in his room now, tidying it.

FBG - let him read this thread, particually the one about the black bin bags, that might spur him into action.

southeastastra - i reckon girls are worse! we have 3 playrooms i have 1 dd (nearly 9) she is a toatal mess monster and creates destruction wherever she goes, this is how it works goes to play in one room messes it up so goes to the next one and so on and so on she is currently in the first floor lounge and the carpet is completely covered in polly bloody pocket stuff, so what i do is this

1. go in each room and assess the scale of destruction
2. Report my findings (very sternley)
3. give her 1hr to sort it out (which doesnt include shoving it in the cupboards or under stuff)
4. i then disappear and return at the appointed time with a roll of black bin liners
5. anything left out goes in said bin bag and out for the nice bin people (i dont store it, that doesnt work with my dd)

I am not totally unreasonable though, if it's really really bad or if her friends have made the mess with her I will help, and she often requests a bit longer than an hour which i am happy to oblige, to me its about responsibility and taking care of things and i have to say she is getting better

I have just found him gluing his door alarm thing to his door - as the sticky things aren't sticky enough as we removed it for bad behaviour this morning. He got it new yesterday.

Have told him I am doing his room on Monday and black bags will be used.

FBG, are you me? i seem to never be happy with the way they "tidy".

My DCS all share the same bedroom, I went upstairs after lunch and it was messy, but not too bad. I told them to use the next 15 minutes to tidy it so we can do something fun. It has now been about 1 1/2 hour and there is more mess than when I sent them upstairs .

Atwork im at you having 3 playrooms-if we had 3 playrooms I would love to spend time in there setting up toys in fact I wouldnt let kids in there full stop

Maybe I am expecting too much.

He is only 8 and has lots of stuff. I have given him as much storage as possible but nothing ever seems to go in the right place.

He is always making things too.....

Paper marcheing a balloon atm.

My mum used to do this. If the room wasn't tidy she would snatch an odd toy or 'piece of art' (read crayon scribble) and hide it in the attic. If you didn't miss it/ask for it in the next 3 months it got thrown out

Kept number of 'things' in check though!

FBG you are not expecting too much. LO is 3 and she understands FULLY the consequence of not tidying up when she is told to. I only had to get the bin bags out twice (was careful to pick my moments as I didn't want to throw away (gave to charity actually) anything too precious, but she did lose a few toys she was upset over - we don't have this fight now. We have a brilliant playroom/storage system so she is able to put things where they belong and she does, she is as able to do it as well as I do (and I have HIGH standards!!) so expecting this of an 8 year old... no problem.

(Just to note, I say we have a brilliant playroom/storage system not to 'brag' but as it took me fecking forever to put together I am RELIEVED to have it in place instead of the crap toys all over the bloody place!!)