ARGhhhhhh!!!
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| Wed, 12-19-2007 - 1:11pm |
How on earth do I get my kids to clean up after themselves? I am sooo sick of them trashing their rooms! Part of the problem is time. They are involved in sooo much that I just never carve out the time for them to pick up their rooms. It's part of the list of things they are supposed to do before bed but when we get back from an activity just at or after bedtime and still have practicing (instruments)and other things to do I can't find it in me to make them stay up even later to clean. Another part of the problem is things just don't make it into the wastebasket - candy wrappers (which aren't supposed to be in their bedrooms anyway), glasses with 3 day old water, etc. It's GROSS!! They also have far too much. In the past we've "blessed" others (through various charities that make routine trips through the area to collect) with things they don't play with or wear anymore but I get such resistance that I simply dread doing this.
I don't want to get in the habit of cleaning up after them and I don't want them to dread cleaning so I don't want to nag or get screaming angry. I also don't want to close the door and ignore it because then they won't know how to keep things clean (dust, vacuum, etc.) when they are on their own. Anyone have any suggestions? I'm about ready to do the garbage bag thing but many of their things are sooo expensive (American Girl dolls, electronics, CDs, musical instruments,etc.) that I really hesitate. I'm really frustrated! Maybe I just need to take some time and focus on this with them... Maybe I just need to realize I'm going to have to put forth some extra effort and bite the bullet.
Thanks for listening and letting me vent.

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Vent away.. Can I join you? :)
I don't know what to do anymore either. On Saturday's Kristen has to clean up her room that's been trashed all week long. Her dresser drawers are always hanging open with clothes spilling out of them. I went through the trouble of labeling drawers.. what goes where but I refuse to put her clean clothes away because I hate walking in that room AND the clothes are strewn all over the place.
All I know on Nanny911... they seem consistant to go in the room nightly, picking up whatever is not put away and they lose it for a time. I haven't been disciplined enough to follow through.. ugh!!
I'm sorry.. I am there too and have no good answers
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