1) Pare down stuff even more
2) Let the in-progress stuff stay up
3) Are you anxious about other stuff? This seems like a sign of anxiety.

Anonymous wrote:Bins bins bins! Have them toss stuff into the appropriate bins. You are training them to subscribe to the idea that rooms should be tidy as a general steady state. That’s a good life lesson. It’s also a good lesson that we clean up our mess when we’re done.

DP.. I have given DC a gazillion bins. The issue isn't not having storage space. The issue is the kid not cleaning up everyday after playing. DC likes to leave stuff out that DC is working on -- like lots and lots of arts and crafts. That.. and the hording. I am just biding my time till DC hits middle school and is done with all that crap.

Anonymous wrote:Don't you make them put something back before they get something new? That helps a lot with keeping messes controllable.

DP.. I have told my DD this, but I am not down in the basement with her when she is playing so I can't enforce this rule.

RE: legos.. those are an issue, too. When my DC is in the middle of building something, he legos are spread all over, and DC doesn't want to have to clean them up since it's pretty time consuming to look for parts. No, it doesn't help to have little containers for each type of part because we have a billion lego parts.

I just tell them to leave one side of the room clean.

Get rid of half the stuff. The kids won’t even notice

I can't stand a messy room. So I compromised: leave one area of the basement (their playroom) "clean", ie, no stuff on the floor. I need a clutter free walking path. Clean up the room once a month so I can at least vacuum.

It's worth having them clean up more often than once a week. It helps you feel less tense and it gets them in the habit of cleaning up.

Don't you make them put something back before they get something new? That helps a lot with keeping messes controllable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Put 50% of the toys in storage bins in basement or attic. Swap them out for the toys currently out once a month or so.

Or just donate anything you think your kids won’t miss.

It’s not overrun with toys, but they do play with everything. I’ve downsized before Christmas and about a month ago. That’s the issue.

I guess my question is, do I make them clean up the Legos at 7pm only to get them back out the next day?

If they are in the middle of building something with Legos, I think it’s OK to leave the structure in place. But if it’s just random Legos strewn all around, then yes I would have them clean that up

Same for a Barbie or American Girl “house” random setup?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Put 50% of the toys in storage bins in basement or attic. Swap them out for the toys currently out once a month or so.

Or just donate anything you think your kids won’t miss.

It’s not overrun with toys, but they do play with everything. I’ve downsized before Christmas and about a month ago. That’s the issue.

I guess my question is, do I make them clean up the Legos at 7pm only to get them back out the next day?

If they are in the middle of building something with Legos, I think it’s OK to leave the structure in place. But if it’s just random Legos strewn all around, then yes I would have them clean that up

Bins bins bins! Have them toss stuff into the appropriate bins. You are training them to subscribe to the idea that rooms should be tidy as a general steady state. That’s a good life lesson. It’s also a good lesson that we clean up our mess when we’re done.

Anonymous wrote:Put 50% of the toys in storage bins in basement or attic. Swap them out for the toys currently out once a month or so.

Or just donate anything you think your kids won’t miss.

It’s not overrun with toys, but they do play with everything. I’ve downsized before Christmas and about a month ago. That’s the issue.

I guess my question is, do I make them clean up the Legos at 7pm only to get them back out the next day?

It's not futile for them to clean it every day. We do the 5 (or 15 if it's bad) minute playroom cleanup daily. I've noticed after a year of doing this that my kids don't make SUCH a mess anymore and they often put toys back as they go.

Put 50% of the toys in storage bins in basement or attic. Swap them out for the toys currently out once a month or so.

Or just donate anything you think your kids won’t miss.

We finished our basement specifically so our kids would have a room—out of sight, out of mind—to trash, but it is always in my mind!

They are great about cleaning it when asked (well, they do it, however grudgingly), but it really does seem futile to clean it in the evening, turn off the light and shut the door, only to trash it again the following day. That clean up time every day could be spent doing something else. But it makes me so anxious thinking of what a mess it is down there, and I have to pass it to get to our laundry room.

I want to get to a place where I am OK with taking the 30 minutes once a week to clean it, and just let t be a mess in between. How can I let go of this anxiety? Or do you clean your playrooms daily as well?