I have 3 & 5 year old boys and they are total slobs at the table. A couple weeks ago, I decided I'd had enough!

I am trying a sticker chart with the following rules:

-- Say please and thank you
-- Chew with your mouth closed
-- Help set the table
-- Help clear the table
-- All food stays on the table (they don't throw food, but SO much seems to drop on the floor because they're not eating over their plates or whatever.)
-- And no tattling, so they don't try to sell each other out for breaking the rules during dinner

Honestly it's been great. I remind them of all the rules before dinner. The 5 yo is doing better than the 3 yo but that is to be expected.

Get over yourself, OP.

Your kid are not tearing up your hardwood floor, or punching holes through the exterior walls.

Your house is not destroyed or ruined. It's messy.

Show them how to pick up after themselves. Assign chores. Punish for dribbles and spills. Use this opportunity to crack down and become more strict.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you using paper plates, plastic utensils and paper napkins? Fixing simple meals?

Most of the time. But there's only so much one can do when trying to work. Wait until distance learning is thrown back into the mix!

God is punishing you for using plastic utensils and paper plates.

Seriously, I so don't get this. The plates and silverware take like 2 seconds to chuck in the dishwasher. It's by far the easiest part of cleaning up. Disposable pots and pans would make a lot more sense to me.

Ehh...I throw paper plates in the compost bin with whatever wasn’t eaten still on them. It’s definitely faster than scraping off plates, rinsing they, and putting them in the dishwasher.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you using paper plates, plastic utensils and paper napkins? Fixing simple meals?

Most of the time. But there's only so much one can do when trying to work. Wait until distance learning is thrown back into the mix!

God is punishing you for using plastic utensils and paper plates.

Seriously, I so don't get this. The plates and silverware take like 2 seconds to chuck in the dishwasher. It's by far the easiest part of cleaning up. Disposable pots and pans would make a lot more sense to me.

+1 So ridiculous and wasteful

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you using paper plates, plastic utensils and paper napkins? Fixing simple meals?

Most of the time. But there's only so much one can do when trying to work. Wait until distance learning is thrown back into the mix!

God is punishing you for using plastic utensils and paper plates.

Seriously, I so don't get this. The plates and silverware take like 2 seconds to chuck in the dishwasher. It's by far the easiest part of cleaning up. Disposable pots and pans would make a lot more sense to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s weird! Teach your kids to clean up after themselves. They aren’t animals!

A 4-year-old can put in a good effort at wiping a table, but the effort is far from perfect. I wouldn't really trust the 7-year-old is very effective at moping, either.

My 4 year old is a slob when she eats. Like a darn toddler still. But she wipes the table after every meals and spot cleans spills on the floor just fine. In another 3 years I couldn't imagine she'd be unable to mop...

Work more on teaching your kids how to clean. If it's half done, nicely point out what parts are still messy and tell them to keep cleaning until it's all clean. Help them if they're super resistant so it doesn't turn into a battle, then rinse and repeat. And up your cleaning service to twice a month!

You know, plenty of families do this all the time. Teach your children to respect their surroundings

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you using paper plates, plastic utensils and paper napkins? Fixing simple meals?

Most of the time. But there's only so much one can do when trying to work. Wait until distance learning is thrown back into the mix!

God is punishing you for using plastic utensils and paper plates.

We had someone in the house most days every day before this (at least toddler and a parent or nanny). I thought it wouldn’t be so different having all five of us.

I was so wrong. I could probably sweep hourly and still find things on the floor.

Anonymous wrote:Are you using paper plates, plastic utensils and paper napkins? Fixing simple meals?

Most of the time. But there's only so much one can do when trying to work. Wait until distance learning is thrown back into the mix!

Are you using paper plates, plastic utensils and paper napkins? Fixing simple meals?

Ours isn’t so much the mess we’re creating but the actual wear and tear on our house. Everyone home all day for every meal plus cleaning more to stay on top of the dirt and dust is causing some surfaces to show wear. Examples: The couch looks pilled. I have to dust the blinds weekly and I probably did it seasonally before this. The finish on part of the banister is even rubbing off!

I think that all of us being home has put 3-5 years’ normal wear on our house.

Anonymous wrote:That’s weird! Teach your kids to clean up after themselves. They aren’t animals!

A 4-year-old can put in a good effort at wiping a table, but the effort is far from perfect. I wouldn't really trust the 7-year-old is very effective at moping, either.

That’s weird! Teach your kids to clean up after themselves. They aren’t animals!

Working full time with two kids at home is well, destroying my home. It doesn't matter how many dishes I do, how often I sweep, vacuum, scrub, rinse, whatever, these kids are tearing up the place. We hired someone to come in once a month to maintain this place for the sake of our sanity and still... the moment I serve lunch, we're back to square one. I've been telling DH to at least please make sure to serve them food outside while the weather's nice. But if we forget, we pay for it.

God bless those school janitors.