How do I get my house cleaned up? I have 8,4 and 1 year old, and they are destroying the other rooms?
Question:I clean up,
Answers:
i'm assuming that your problem is that while you're cleaning they're uncleaning. my sister has the same problem with only 2 kids and her husband. ok so maybe that's 3 kids. anyway, she usually asks me or our mom or grandmother to watch them for a few hours while she gets toys put away and clothes and dishes.
I have a 14 and 17 year old - it doesn't get any better. I suggest removing all items that aren't essential including stuff from their bedrooms. My kids always have too much junk anyway. Then they don't have anything to destroy. I pretty much leave them alone about their bedrooms but the rest of the house is MY territory.
it's time for you to take authority over your kids, tell them not to, why not to, and punishment if they disobey.If you don't do it now, your sorrows are just starting!
the first thing you can do is try and get them out of the house for a few hours. Send them to the neighbors or grandmas or whatever. Then CLEAN YOUR BUTT OFF! Do a crazy clean where you're washing baseboards and the vents etc. When they get home, tell the 8 year old that he or she is old enough to help you out by picking up after themselves and picking up after their siblings because they don't know any better. The 4 year old can be taught that their clothes go in the laundry room and you can't play with another toy until the others are put away first. Get some rules going.
Your 8 & 4 yr old are old enough to help. Have them do age appropiate tasks. Then get a gate to put up to contain your 1 year old in a childproofed room with toys and enough to occupy while you clean or if they take a nap clean up after them. Don't allow them to take their toys out of their room. There is no excuse for them to be destroying the house. If they do that put them in time out or put them to bed. My kids are 9,9, & 10 They have stuff added over the years and can now vaccuum, dust, pick up, sweep, and mop. They also help with dishes and laundry. They clean their own rooms too. It is just a matter of teaching them.
I have one word for you: flylady.com. Check it out. You can do anything in fifteen minutes.:)
L.C. Oh the joy of having childen.. First of all turn off the TV and get up off the bee hind and start straightning up. I guess you are not married with 3 kids. Nothing to worry about--as long as the terrorist of the house are fed.. Or, you could get a full time job and the little dickins will be asleep when you get home. Then clean.
Limit the area that your kids can have their toys.When mine were small they kept all toys in their room. The only thing I let them bring to other rooms was paper and pencils or crayons and coloring books. They sat at the table to draw or color.
Kids have a hard time finishing what they are doing. My mom and dad used to pick one day out of every month, and they would call it"Allowence day". What they did is they would have 2 or 3 prizes on the table not wrapped. And they would ask us about a week before allowence day, what we wanted. And we would get timed , an hour to cleen out rooms, and we had to have our room spotless, as my mom called it, to win the prize. If we didn't have our room cleen, they would give us 30 more minutes to finish, and they would check it again and again untill our rooms were cleen. Then we would get our prize, and be happy with a cleen room.
it really worked for me, becuase now i can't stand to have a messy room! i garinty it will work on ur kids!
(if u can get toys, either put ice cream, money(rarely), or candy out for them.)
I have a 3 yr. old and a 1 yr. old and my 3 yr. old helps me pick up his toys every night before bed... We have laundry bins and we carry them around and pack up the toys. I usually do a bulk of my housekeeping at night. Realistically, I know that the house will get trashed with toys, but that's what kids do... If your child has ADHD they might like to have a short task to make them feel important... I know my son likes to help me when I sweep the kitchen he holds the dustpan and throws the dustpan away...Well now he throws only the dirt away and he's only 3...!
A good idea is to have a lot of storage boxes around so that cleaning up can be done in minutes throw everything into that particular box in the room and then go through what is in there (things may belong in other rooms) when you have time, make sure the boxes have lids and clear plastic so you can see what is in it, roller ones for under the beds. A box of toys and papers and junk looks better than it spread everywhere, if you have room keep a free space for each storage box even if it is in another cupboard somewhere else in the house or if no room garage, then get it out and go through it on weekend if you haven't got the time on the weekend, if kids wan't something in there,you can remind them because they made such a mess the boxes are away and they will have to wait to get it out or go through the whole box and put everything away.once the younger one watches the older child do this they will all get used to doing it.
This is what I'd do if I were you. I'd fined some one to take the kids for a day so that I could clean the whole house.
Chore chart and stick with it. Everyone has to participate even mom and dad. Also make consequence's loud and clear. Provide the rule and what would be the repercussions if not followed. State all that on the chart. Everything has to be clear and understood.
When all chores are completed weekly. Then so something special with them or allow them to do...Teaching how to earn thing life is a great lesson. Starting with house chores is a good start...
Stick with and you will see a difference.
you should have had them trained first off...but what you really need to do is have certain days and times when you clean your home. when you do that you might want to sit them in front of the t.v or have the 8 year old studying or maybe helping you but really just have certain days and times.
When the toddler is napping tell the other children you are all going to clean up the house. Work with them showing them how to pick up and where things go. When you're finished, enjoy a treat together for your hard work. Do this with them a few times then start having them do it with out you and reward them modestly each time. Let them know you appreciate their help. You could also have your 4 year old entertain the toddler and just do this routine with the 8 year old until the other children are older, but at 4 years old children should be helping to clean up after themselves.
Try this link!
She's a lifesaver with housekeeping!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flyladymen...
You have to find someway, to have the 8 year old help, maybe put them in there room until you vacuumn, Then Put them in front of the TV with a video, while you clean the bathroom. Always telling them how proud of them you are, for listening and being such good boys. Keep a box in the living Room of den and when they finish playing, you tell them they have to clean up and all the toys on the floor, must go in this box. If they do as they are told, make sure to tell daddy what good boys they have been. and maybe they can have Ice cream. It all about making them part of it, I know that its difficult enough to take care of 3 kids but when you have 2 hyperactive ones, you have to do they best you can. Good Luck.
as my friend quoted she gonna wait till they get a home of they own B4 she buy anything new, I thought that was cute & funny & very smart of her to said dat, ha.''
Assign them each three jobs and do not pay them to do them. Set up rules and enforce them. Put the kids with ADHD on Ritalin and get dad to help. Organize your house and THROW AWAY stuff you do not need or sell it. Clean once a week thoroughly and pick up and lightly clean in berween. Hire a HS kid to take the kids out three time a week so you can have an hour of R & R. Good luck.
I agree with nicegirltg. flylady.com is the BEST. A total lifesaver for any mom and it's 100% FREE. One word of advice if you do get on there.don't sign up for the reminders, they'll blow up your e-mail.
More Related Questions & Answers...