Howcome I can declutter several times a week and yet everywhere is still messy ??

[nutcracker]

I don't get where I am going wrong.

Me too, watching with interest

Are you nagging your children sufficiently?

honestly, watch them in action. You may think it is you not being efficient, but I can watch ds1 decimate a room in 10 minutes if I don't actually stop him.

ROFL

Ohhh we have festive smilies, hadn't noticed

Where the hell does it all come from though ??

My mum had 3 kids and I don't ever remember the house looking like a pig sty. Mind you she didn't have MN lol.

My house is the same!
I sorted DS's room with them a few weeks ago now its a pig sty again!
I had the front room looking ok yesterday by last night it was awful(and still is).

You're probably buying too much crap and/or they are bringing in too much tat?
Simple rule-if one thing comes in the house,something else must leave.

last week i cleared my desk. this week i have been sorting out paper work and my shredder broke. so now my desk is i na worse state than last week. i am typing amongsts a stackl of paper work that must be shredded as it has things like account numbers, NI numbers, kids details, etc etc on.

Definatly not nagging them enough, and also not getting them to pull their weight enough tbh.

The girls rooms are always ranging from untidy to explosion like, and they are 10 and 8 so old enough to do it.

It is the living/dinning room which annoys me the most as there is just stuff everywhere.

I tidied it on Wed, Thurs and yesterday but look on profile and see what it looks like now. I know it isn't hugley messy but there are so many bits and bobs everywhere.

lol am having profile probs now too, bloody thing is saying i am not me.

Go to Ikea. Buy lots and lots and lots of their very cheap stackable transparent storage boxes with lids (sold separately).

Come home. Sort all toys, creative stuff etc by category into boxes so - one box for plastic animals, one box for crayons, one box for doll's house furniture, one box for Lego, one box for cars etc etc etc.

Label boxes.

Sort boxes into logical groups and find a place to store by category.

Let children take out only one or two boxes at a time to play with. Make them clear up by putting toys into correct box and box into designated place before getting other toys out.

Right, they should be there now

Fab idea Anna, but can't afford to buy the boxes and nowhere near Ikea, but I get what you mean, I need more storage and to train the kids to use it.

Sorry Nut, is that meant to be messy?????????

My dd is too young to train in such a manner and tbh it's dp and me who are crap as well. Usually I don't let it bother me but then some days, like today, I just feel overwhelmed by it all. Tidying up with dd around is entirely pointless though, I tidy up one thing and she is behind me making a new mess even faster .

It doesn't look bad at all.
Mine is much worse than that!
DS2's coat is still on the floor from yesterday. I told him to leave it here so i could wash it.Just realised i forgot to put it in the machine.

Ok, will sit here a bit longer than if there is no tidying up to be done

ok have added a pic of mine.
not the worst room though. Just what i can see from here!

Ok tort you win, yours is messier

I should tidy up shouldn't i?

Nah, i'm not