A Neat and Clean House vs Children

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-2007
A Neat and Clean House vs Children
2597
Tue, 07-27-2010 - 8:35am

For those of you who like a neat and clean house, how do you keep it that way with children?

I find that if I am tied to goal of having a neat and clean house, I become a raging shrew against my children as they proceed to undo all the neatness I have worked so hard to attain. If I made a "neat and clean house" my goal, my children would not have their messy projects that take days/weeks to complete. My children would not pick up a book (casually left out)as they walk through the family room and browse through- discovering once again the mother actually knows about a few good books. I would let them watch more tv/computer time, as they don't make things as messy when they do. I would squash their ideas if I thought it would make too much of a mess. I wouldn't let them cook/experiment in the kitchen- as it is usually more work for me to clean up after they have "cleaned up". So, how do you inspire creativity and imagination in a neat and clean house? Are you on top of them to put things away as soon as they are done even if it is temporary? Where do you put the legos?....... Have you ever allowed them to take over the living room with all of their toys arranged in a city complex (thomas the train things were the Metro, legos and blocks were the buildings....)? How long would it stay up? Would let it be up for the summer so they could add to and change tings around as they got new ideas? Or allowed them to take over half of the family room for a month+ while they build and live in a beaver lodge (using all the empty shoe and other boxes and some that weren't empty)? Even if you have to walk around it everyday to get to the kitchen? Or do you require that all toys be put away everyday?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-09-2010
Tue, 08-03-2010 - 10:58am
I've also mentioned basketball, golf, riding bikes, tossing around the football or kicking the soccer ball, running & playing tag and other outdoor games as well as getting the ball, bat, glove out to play some baseball, swinging, sliding, climbing. What typical kids do.

Polkadots&FlipFlops

Polkadotandflipflops

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-02-2010
Tue, 08-03-2010 - 11:00am

What is dress up clothing for your children?
Dresses, skirts, khaki pants, polo's. Things they will mostly need for dinner.

My dd has a few skirts and tops, one dress. and my sons have khaki shorts, polos, and one white button down shirt and a tie. Kind of summer church or wedding clothes, IMO, and appropriate for fairly formal events that kids may attend. How many do they need? What am I missing?
They need outfits for 7 nights of dinner (not necessarily 7 different outfits though but ones that can mixed and matched)

I guess it may be because I don't spend $8600 a year on vacation. We're going to NYC for vacation, hotel in Manhattan, tickets to a play and ballgame and walking around money. We also spent a week at Loon Mt in March. Our vacation budget, including clothes, was 1/4 of your city's average.
I have never spent that much either and don't plan to. Maybe one day when my husband and I decide to travel alone on a Mediterrean cruise.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2005
Tue, 08-03-2010 - 11:01am
When my older son was a baby, he refused to eat any baby food at all (it was formula or nothing). One day we took him along to a family get-together at a Cuban restaurant, and he pretty much dove straight into my black beans and rice. He chowed down on that and fried plantains. We let him eat all of our leftovers over the next couple of days. It's been his favorite meal ever since.











iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2005
Tue, 08-03-2010 - 11:01am
LOL, thanks!











iVillage Member
Registered: 03-02-2010
Tue, 08-03-2010 - 11:10am
What is so sad?
Avatar for rollmops2009
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2009
Tue, 08-03-2010 - 11:13am
But you said that you avoid going outdoors, so how do the kids do these things?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-04-2009
Tue, 08-03-2010 - 11:14am
It's so sad you can only grocery shop on weekends. It's terribly sad. Almost tragic!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-02-2010
Tue, 08-03-2010 - 11:14am
This is what is good for me and my family.
When did I ever say it should be a hot meal?
I did say not all my meals contained meat, starch, veggie.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-09-2010
Tue, 08-03-2010 - 11:31am
We have a big large fenced in back yard. They run in and out as much as they like.

Polkadots&FlipFlops

Polkadotandflipflops

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-02-2010
Tue, 08-03-2010 - 11:31am
Nah, I COULD shop at night after work or even on my lunch hour. I enjoy having the food delivered or going to Costco with the family.

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