How can I get my kids to pick up the playroom when they are done playing?

Question

I made one of the rooms in the house into a playroom to keep all the toys in one room, but when I get home from work there are toys all over the place. I also placed things in labled bins for them in the room for them to keep organized, well the room looks like a tornado hit, can't even walk in without stepping on the toys. This weekend I lost my temper and put it all in a garbage bag and threatend to put them out for the garbage truck to pick up. Should I give them another chance? or should i really throw things away until they learn. It's just that it hurts me to throw them all away with all the $ I've invested. Please help!

Answer 1

dont throw them away. if you do that your really punishing your self cause you will have to buy more.
if you want them to do what you say, dont give them what they want untill they do what you said.
if you come home and toys are all over tell them right then to clean up. if they don't no snacks, candy, tv, video games and no moer playing. if they go to do it anyway take it away from them.....but never EVER pick it up yourself. once they notice that if they dont do it eventually you will just do it yourself then its over. you need to make sure your kid know you are in charge not them.

Answer 2

In my experience depending on how old your children are, most will gladly put away toys if you treat it like a game. Like if you say "well, we're all done with that...let's see how fast we can clean up so we can go play this...or go to the store." Also if you want it clean when you come home from work get one of those sticker charts and everytime it is clean they get a sticker, then when they reach so many stickers you can go out for pizza or something. I think it's important for kids to realize why they need to keep their area neat, how you expect it, and that it is their responsibility not mom's. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Age-old question! Making them learn responsibility, and care for their own things... shouldn't be a negative ("do it, or lose it"?).. What we do, and it works -- is have (at first) a 1-day a week clean-up day, and then increase it. You can have them do it, for ice cream or something they want. You can tell them that it's a great way not to lose anything, that they'll always know where everything is/toys are, if they put them in 'their place'. Maybe, there's a time of day for "clean-up" before TV, everyday?

Answer 4

make them earn their toys back. like if they help you around the house they can pick a toy from the bag. but then also let them know that that toy can always be taken away again. and make sure if they misbehave in some way that you really do take the toy(s) back.

Answer 5

I think you should follow through -if you don't they have just learned that they can walk all over you! After you've established the fact that you are serious, develop a reward system where they can earn new toys.

Make your kids go with you to the goodwill (please give them to charity instead of the garbage). They can learn that other children are not as lucky as they and do not have nice toys to play with. Double lessoned learned!

Answer 6

Lock them out of the room and tell them to clean another room so that they will learn (2clean)and then let them back in .Tell them that they will not play with their toys for a long period of time until they clean up their room.

Answer 7

Don't argue with them. Pick up the room yourself only don't put everything away. Accidentally MISPLACE it and when they ask where it is tell them you don't know. Tell them that you are so busy that you must have misplaced it. Next time, if they pick things up themselves then they will know where they are. You can't yell either. You have to say it in a calm voice. "Oh, I'm really sorry - I wonder where I put that?"

My friend's son had a behavioural problem and this is what the doctor told her to do instead of arguing with him. If it was his turn to set the table and he didn't, she did it but shorted him a fork. Or she would make his bed minus the sheet. If he said something she would take the quiet "Oh my God, I'm sorry" approach. It actually worked. He ended up doing things himself because his absent minded mother kept misplacing things on him. Good luck.

Answer 8

Routine, routine, routine! Designate a time of day (just before bathtime works for us) to get in there with the kids and pick the room up. You don't do any pickup yourself (unless it's things they're too little to do, like putting things on high shelves). Set a timer. If they're done by a certain time, they get a reward. No punishment for if they don't finish in time, but they still must get it done.

Answer 9

If your children are to young to understand why you bagged up their toys, and you never taught them from the beginning to pick up their toys & you always did it for them it might be harder to get them to participate. I usually say, if you pick up this room, we'll have a special treat and then make the treat together. Rice Crispys. They are fun to make cutout and Decorate. Offering them otherthings like fun things to do.
Go fishing, to the park. fly a kite. the simle things make it fun.
write the date on a calender in the play room.

Answer 10

you can say if you don't pick up after yourselves then no dessert for them or something like that. Im doing that with my bf kids since we have them on the weekends and we are teaching them responsiblities and how they can manage and earn for what they want. still working out the bugs but i will try my best on it. tell them if thet don't pick up after themselves then the toys will be gone. age old question simple answer teach them responsibilies.