I really hoped that when I took the kids' toys away it would help our house stay cleaner. But it didn't. The kids still have SETS of things--card-making stuff, bead set, dress-up clothes, and art supplies. Along with Legos, homemade Lincoln logs, and Hot Wheels cars for the boys.
Doesn't matter what they have, or don't have, they wreck everything. Daily. Hourly. Minutely.
I know they're young and playing, these days are fleeting, yada yada, and it shouldn't upset me. But it does. I can't stand it. I want them to learn responsibility and consequence but it seems like they just don't. get. it.
Yesterday afternoon Hannah worked to tidy up her room. And within half hour the kids were all in there playing again and they TRASHED IT. All the blankets thrown off the bed, the bed was moved and pulled out from the wall, chairs and STUFF all shoved BEHIND the bed, card paper everywhere, dress-up clothes everywhere, laundry everywhere. Of course THEY are the ones that have to clean it ALL back up but it takes more than an hour to enforce that. Excruciating minutes of enforcing and following thru and making sure everyone's helping, and helping dictate where all the crap goes back to. It's so awful, and I hate it, really really really hate it.
This scenario is basically what happens every day, all the time. Spend hours cleaning up and then it EXPLODES again within minutes. Out-of-control EXPLODES. A handful of bracelet rubber bands tossed onto the couch or floor or table in a second takes 30 minutes to pick up and sort back out!
So please, I'm pleading, what's the solution?? How do you handle these situations?