- Busy and have not read about my toy despair, or
- Do not agree with my method of fixing the situation and are trying to avoid me, all the while *tsk-tsking* me and my mothering skills.
It is day 2 of Operation Clean Up Your Toys or Else. It is also school/daycare day, so it hasn't been a good measure for how things are going. We haven't been home much yet today. (Big thank you to Camille for a lovely lunch!) But I do think that Kate knew I was unhappy with the situation yesterday, and as Tim pointed out, I don't think she likes it when I'm mad at her. She was extra sweet to me this morning. I'm not really mad at her; I'm just frustrated with the level of mess that this house has reached, and she is a big contributor. So we're working on that.
And she has ways to earn her toys back. If she gets things out and then puts them away when asked to, she will get a toy out of time-out. She's a pretty smart kid, so it will probably be Thursday morning when all of her toys have earned a pardon.
Claire is cruising now. I think that's what you call it when they walk along the furniture? Leave her at one end of the coffee table, come come back moments later, and you will find her at the other end of the table (especially if there is a beer or a remote control at the other end). She is also walking behind her push-walker by herself.
What?
5 comments:
Beer and Remotes. That Claire is a smart girl!!!!
I really do not have any helpful suggestions for the toy despair. I guess I am just used to kicking toys all around and when they irritate me too much I kick them into another room and try to ignore them some more.
I guess one thing you could do is take away half or more of the toys (not as a punishment, but just as a way to keep the clutter down) and rotate them out every few days. I always intend to do that, but it seems like too much work! Not much good advice, here, huh?
I don't have any good advice for the toy despair! Caitlyn is 9 and still have a hard time getting her to clean her room up. Just wait until they are in the lying to you stage and you threaten to take away trick or treating! Nothing else seems to phase her but not getting to go trick or treating has her shaking in her shoes. LOL :) Good luck!!! I will have to keep the toy time out method for Nicholas and see if it works!!!
Heather
Straight from crawling to cruising....way to go Claire!! I love the idea of the silent butler and pardoning the toys only after she does what is asked of her. She is pretty smart to have figured out the consequence to this situation :0)
I do like how much more neat my living room looks now that many of the toys are put away in closets. Maybe we will start this rotation thing, more on a 4-6 month basis. I cannot imagine rotating toys every month. I am not that motivated!
Tonight she helped me clean up the living room with only moderate prodding. We might be making an improvement here. I hope so!
I don't have any magical advice on the toy thing. It helps to have the basement, here, and to know I'll have the playroom/bonus room upstairs in the new house. Most of the toys are in those places with only minimal amounts in our living spaces, so clean up is much more managable. We also do clean up more than once a day, usually. I make them clean up before lunch, hunger is a powerful motivator, then we clean up before bed or before wrestle and play time with Daddy. The older kids are pretty good at first time obediance when asked to put things away and Noah is learning from watching them, so that helps a lot. The best thing I did, too, was invest in a storage type of unit for the living room, back in Silverton, that held the toys and we set it up so that the toys in that room all had a place. Mykenzie, and then Jacob, learned quickly that, in our home, everything has a place and that makes cleaning up easier. I've also invested in a lot of the Sterlite showoffs storage boxes. I love the they come in a few sizes and have lids that latch on with a handle on top. I have them in multiple numbers in multiple sizes. They're clear so we can see what's in them and they can even stack on top of each other. I have them for the smaller things like legos, cars, doll clothes, bright builders, etc. I can let the kids get them out one at a time and it makes clean up easier. They aren't the most beautiful storage containers, but they're functional! Jacob can carry the large one full of metal matchbox cars with the handle and the lid stays on!
I love the bright green Korean looking dress that Kate has on and I can't believe Claire is cruising. Isaac hasn't even rolled over! Miss you!
Post a Comment