how the hell do i get a 6 and 9 yo to clean up after themselves?

[mum23kidz]

Ok, my 6 and 9 year old are driving me crackers. Tonight, it took 1,5 hours for them to pick up their toys. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but surely a 6 and 9 year old should be able to pick up, with out me standing over them pointing out each and every toy?
how do I deal with this? Ideas needed badly!

I used to tell my dd that if she didn't tidy her toys away I would do it......straight into a bin bag and into the bin! Worked every time. ;)

Fewer toys. Get rid of all the broken ones, donate the unloved ones, create a toy library out of what is left and then put out say 5 toys per child. You can have a change day once a week where they can swap the existing toys for ones in the library.

Get a black bin bag, tell them if toys are not put away within the toys will be chucked away in the bin bag.

Whether or not you throw away the bin bag is up to you. .

FWIW I do think that lots of children just have far too many toys and it is too easy to get everything out - I was horribly strict with my DS and just didn't allow him many toys - I would either hide them and rotate them or just give what I considered crap toys to charity .

Ideally you start when they are tiny so it's drumbed in

Less toys. Don't buy loads every birthday and Xmas. For every new toy, an old toy needs to be donated

Good storage

If its not put away its taken away - either bin or away for a week

Put things away before getting another out.

I am thinking the bin idea. But see, it's all 3 kids toys that are out, which means the 3 year old would also be with out some of his toys.

So, have separate storage for each child - different colours or labelled with their names. Each child has X number of toys 'out' at any one time and then chooses to rotate them.

Well tonight I did it... Took out 2 bags of their toys. I'd tried storing sm in fact they each have a box put stuff in, but they never use them. So tough if it's one of the other kids toys... It's a chronic issue that requires a drastic action.

Well done . Have you actually got rid of the toys?

Tell them you'll get a bin bag if they don't clean.
And if nothing happens get one and start packing.... works everytime :D