cleaning up children's mess! when to stop?

[talcyone]

Off work today
Going to spring clean dds bedroom
is in a right state
i must tell them everyday to tidy it up
Crafty children know i'll do it properly when they are at school
Rod for my own back....iknow
I like it to look nice though
anyone else?

I'm always tidying up after my four but now I'm rtying to swing the burden of responsibility more and more onto them.
This is why: If I'm always just tidying up after them, there's absolutely no time left to do extras like clean windows, decorate, clean and organise cupboards etc.

I don't know how old yours are talcy but mine are 8,7,5 and 2 and yesterday I had the 8 and 7 year old empty and refill the dishwasher while I was putting the others to bed. They did it to a story tape and they did it really well.

I say, yes you can have a later bed time, but with such grown up privileges, comes responsibility. Actually I think they enjoyed it.

they are 6.10 and 8 spidermama.
They do like to help with adult chores.....dusting, wiping up etc, and i l]ove it when they help, they seem to have a problem with their bedroom, stuffing things under beds, filling drawers up with 'stuff'etc.
Part of me thinks...its's their room, leave them to it!
But it does my head in knowing it's full of clutter(and various beheaded barbies)
My eldest likes to reorganise things instead of tidying.....can't think where she gets it from

I have a "tidy-up time" song, and a house rule that "it doesn't matter who made the mess, we ALL tidy up together, it's a Family Job" They are not too bad really, lots of chivvying and cheerful bluster seems to work most of the time.

I did let myself down rather badly a few weeks ago though , they were being SO uncooperative and bone idle, ds1 was sniggering and chucking magnetic letters all over the floor and ds2 was rolling around in the mess going "I am Bob Builder, I am Bob Builder"

so I got a binbag out and waved it at them, singing:

Bob the Binbag
Can we fill it?
Bob the Binbag
YES WE CAN!

ds1 and ds2
And all their toys
We know what happens
To lazy boys

Tractors and diggers
And play food too
Into the binbag
With all of you

Bob the Binbag
Can we fill it?
Bob the Binbag
YES WE CAN!!

They pissed themselves laughing but they did get up and help. Now when I start the tidy-up time song, they go "No, No, let's sing Bob the Binbag!!"

In an ideal world i suppose we'd all like to think we start off 'training' children to put things away ater playing. Getting them to help tidy up by putting things in toy boxes etc before going out for example. But the unfortunate thing is that no matter how much naging id involved their just not programmed to 'see' the things us adults see!
It is infuriating, but the best thing you can probably do is do do this clean up for your own sanity, then when they get home, explain to them what you have done, then tell them it is now up to them to keep it tidy. My boss used to put whatever they'd left lying around in a bin bag and put it outside. Extreme, but it worked. The thought of their 'precious things' being thrown out was enough to make thm realise.
Or, maybe a tick chart could work for your children?

rofl at song
I can just hear mine now
"mummy's been on the rum again"

will try it

Yes, I'm fairly sure mine think I am a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic

Great song Greeny!

might try it myself!

Now when they're not helping, I say "Bob's hungry today, I can hear his tummy rumbling"

[sick pupy emoticon]

Greenleaves,Better to be that than nagging all the time.......my children's hearing has evolved to a new level where mummy's nagging voice is no longer audible!

You are right littlelf....just doing it for my own sanity

enough chit chat...must get arse into gear and climb the barbie mountain
wish me luck
thanks for responses

pmsl at the "barbie mountain"

She'll be wearing pink pyjamas when she comes, when she comes....

Tummy rumbling song?
now that is as mad as abox of frogs

YOu could also try the Flylady Student Control Journal , (and by 'student' it just means someone who's at school, I think, and might work for younger kids too, with a bit of help). Worked for a while for my DD, though she seems to have lapsed a bit recently. Flylady also keeps recommending The House Fairy , but I haven't yet investigated it - I think the DCs need to watch it with you.

That's excellkent jackieno....will print it out,thanks
pmsl at FLYLADY piccie
That's me!

Really do need to get off mn now
Tell me to bugger off will you?

Bugger off!