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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

HELP NEEDED GOING MENTAL OVER MESS.

11 replies

Clarabumps · 22/07/2013 15:09

Sorry for the caps above but I thought I needed to stress the urgency of this task.

My house is a mess. I have 3 dc (ds-6, ds-4 SN and DD-11mo)
I feel like the walls are coming in around me. The house is rammed with stuff. I honestly feel like setting fire to the whole thing to be honest. I cannot live in this anymore. The kids don't tidy up at all. I try and get them to but ds2 does not understand the concept of tidying (he has autism)
There is just stuff everywhere. I have storage shelves and those trofast boxes for the kids toys but I just feel like I tidy one room and walk out of it only to return 2 minutes later to find it a mess again. I'm a sahm and my housing situation isn't great. We are currently living in a rented flat and can't move as I'm hoping to relocate back to the city I'm from.

Anyway, the point of this thread is that I've just taken all the kids toys and flung them in black bags. I've left them with a small box of toys and put the rest of them up in the loft. I'm so sick of the mess I just thought it would be a short term solution.
How do I get more organised and get the kids to pick up after themselves. Do I just sell the rest of the toys on Ebay and they can just make do with the ones they've got? I'm just at my wits end with it all. I haven't even started on my clutter but I need to get my living area under control.

OP posts:

IWillDoItInAMinute · 22/07/2013 16:18

Clara take a look at the m thread (I can't do links as -incapable- on my phone)

We have many conversations about this and some people have fantastic advice.

I feel your pain, I'm a SAHM and work from home so there is no escape fir me either, the endless bits of dropped Lego dug out of my foot!

I have recently put my 3 DCs toys in the spare room. I want to go through them and store/bin/donate what's there. I have had enough to, you are not alone

IWillDoItInAMinute · 22/07/2013 16:21

I think the bin bags in loft is a great idea, it'll help you to see what your DC's like to play with and focus your DC's on playing with rather than spreading their toys.

AugustaProdworthy · 22/07/2013 16:24

I completely empathise. In fact I could have written it myself. I can't put anything in my loft! I have no spare room either!

valiumredhead · 22/07/2013 16:29

They won't tidy up at those ages unless you stand over them like a Sargent major barking orders

Yy, bag it up and bin it out shove it in the loft and rotate it.

valiumredhead · 22/07/2013 16:29

Or not out

NumTumDeDum · 22/07/2013 16:29

I actually think that was a good temporary solution. It is always easier to approach things when you have a bit more room. I recently had a clear out of toys with a view to doing a car boot. Dd (4) helped me on the basis that I will get her a new lego set with the proceeds. We had 13 dolls! I didn't buy them but she gets given lots of things (divorced from her dad so no communication over presents and double the amount). I've cleared probably about two thirds of her toys - a lot of them were no longer age appropriate or she never played with them. As a result I've managed to take out a set of drawers from her room and I can now see a bit of carpet! If she wasn't sure about it going we put it in the attic. If she didn't ask for it for a month then it went (unless I thought ds would play with it when he's older).

Definitely ebay things in good condition - if you think it will be worth it- check current listings for an idea of what you would get. Otherwise consider carboot, table top sales or even charity shop them.

AugustaProdworthy · 22/07/2013 16:32

We rotate toys but we were given loads by family and friends and now I know why- they were off loading onto us! It's only day one of the holidays and we've been through play dough, baking, shops, happy land and cars as well as a movie. It's only day one....

lolalotta · 22/07/2013 18:48

I think toy rotation could be helpful in your situation and sell/donate/ bin anything outgrown/ no longer played with and broken! Good luck! Less is more IMHO when it comes to kids toys!

HoneyStepMummy · 23/07/2013 15:56

Having stuff everywhere is beyond stressful. You did the right thing by putting the extra toys away. We have a large wicker hamper with a lid that holds all my DS's toys. Keeping them in one place only really helps. I don't allow McDonald's tat in the house and if it does sneak it's way in it goes missing in the night!
We request that family gives DS money or things like pajamas or undrewear (which he loves by the way) instead of toys. He saves his money and we'll buy DS/Wii games, art supplies or something similar. This has made all of our lives my easier.
What about donating or selling all the 'extra' toys and just keeping only what they really play with. Then get a toy box for each of them with their name on it. I find kids find it easier to clean up when it just involves picking up their stuff and putting it in their toy box or basket.
For all the other stuff in your house could you put in the pretty boxes and then put the boxes back on the shelves? This would make the place look tidier.

FariesDoExist · 23/07/2013 16:32

It can be so stressful to be surrounded by toys (especially if they're noisy/musical) and bits and bobs and crap that they don't tidy away. Drives me insane. I have got rid of lots and I keep some stuff hidden away so they can't take everything out at once.

Thurlow · 23/07/2013 16:47

Having toys out drives me loopy, I understand your pain. And I also get in a massive arse when the house is really untidy which it is now.

One of the main things will be to see if your DC notice that any of their toys have gone missing. If they don't, they don't need or want them, and you can give them all to charity or ebay them.

One thing that helps me to sort out is to put things I'm not overly sure about - clothes, books etc - away in bags or boxes and if I haven't got them back out again in a few months, it means I really don't need them and I get rid of them. Not a quick fix, but it could help gradually get rid of the clutter?

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