do you make your dc tidy up one thing before getting out the next?

[CharlotteBronteSaurus]

or do you go with the flow and have a really big tidy up at the end of the day? trying to decide which is less stressful...

I try to persuade/cajole/bribe them into putting one lot of crap away before getting the next lot out - sadly I'm clearly not very good at it judging by the state of my son's bedroom!

Not tidy one thing before doing another, but we do have points during the day when they have to clear up rather than just waiting for the end of the day. I personally could not stand the degree of mess that that would entail - on the otherhand, I don't want to constantly interrupt the dcs play by requiring them to tidy up.

no, but we do tidy before going to bed or in between when there is too much stuff on the floor.

No, never have. I go with the flow and sometimes have a really big tidy up at the end of the day.

I've never really got how you can do that tbh - both my kids play elaborate games where the lego is the party food for the soft toys who live on the sofa, need cushions for beds and the blackboard and chalk, paper and craft stuff for school...

Depends. If the play dough is all over the table and DS decides he wants to do some painting then the play dough has to go away to make space, for example. I do insist that games/puzzles are put away after use so pieces don't get lost.

If it's just random toys all over the place though, he can carry on.

Tidy up the toys that are finished with before getting the new ones out. Better to tidy little and often than for them to have to tidy up what looks like a huge mountain.

Children get used to being tiday that way.

i find on the days when i try and be a bit zen and let her get loads out, tidying up at the end of the day takes ages and becomes a real battle. i do do it with her, but not for her.

we've got a small house too, and i keep getting bits of sylvanian food stuck agonisingly under my feet.

i feel like a killjoy sometimes though...

'I've never really got how you can do that tbh - both my kids play elaborate games where the lego is the party food for the soft toys who live on the sofa, need cushions for beds and the blackboard and chalk, paper and craft stuff for school...'

Yup, my children do this too. Although it's more often along the lines of them packing clothing in those mini cardboard suitcases and going to boarding school. They also use Rainbow Magic books as characters in a school which means the flaming books all over the floor!

I insist on bedroom floors being completely clear before my cleaner comes once a week. And the playroom must be generally tidy of an evening.

DD is allowed a few things out at once before she needs to tidy them up.

Ive encouraged this since about 14mths so shes pretty good now. She tidy's up herself before getting the next thing out so im not constantly nagging at her.
Her toys are in Trofast unit drawers, so she puts everything away in the drawers and has 1 or 2 drawers out at a time.
She does have a finally tidy so all toys are away before bedtime too.

No. Ds1 (22 months) can get out whatever he likes, whenever he likes. We then both tidy them up just before lunch. Then after his nap, he can get out what he likes and again we both tidy up after dinner.

Some stuff like play-doh, board games or jigsaws get put away before other stuff comes out but otherwise I let them get on with it and tidy up at the end of the day. It would really stifle their play if they were allowed just one type of toy at a time.