Cups...So. Many. Cups.

[Amy loves Bud]

I was really ready for summer. And I'm loving it.

 

But there are so many darn cups on my kitchen counter. They play, they come in and drink, they go outside, they come in and drink more form different cups, rinse and repeat. All 11,000 kids in the neighborhood. I don't think their families have running water.

 

:glare:

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

I hear ya. I just started getting cheap plastic cups and using sharpie to mark names. One cup a day per kid.

[ConnieB]

Get some masking tape and put their name on their cup for the day. If they're too young to be able to read their name, put a sticker on the tape (so you can remove the masking tape and sticker...sticker on glass won't come off).

 

As for the lack of running water in the neighborhood....sounds like your house is "the" place to be.....I love it when my house gets it's turn to be "it".

[Dmmetler]

If you use Vis-a-Vis markers, you can run the cups through the dishwasher, and just relabel them for the next day.

[dragons in the flower bed]

one year, everyone who visited regularly had a plastic tumbler with their name sharpie'd on it. i'd started this system for the kids, but soon, after get-togethers, i'd find the cups all upside down in the dish drain, clean and spiffy and drying. amazing what fingerpointing can do for a housekeeping system.

[runmiarun]

We have that same problem. For now, everybody gets a Solo cup with their name on it big Sharpie marker. Even the ones who can't read know to look for their first initial with a smiley face on it. We have a special place on the counter marked with their names on masking tape. They come in, drink, put the cups back on the tape. Mommy will quickly rinse them with hot water after everybody tromps out the door and put them back on the tape. At night, they get a good soaking in the sink with a teaspoon of bleach and set out to dry. The next day, it all starts over again. If the cup gets lost or broken, another one is available but now they try to see who can keep their cup the longest. If they keep it all week, they get ice cream for dessert on Friday night.

[creekmom]

I bought different colored rubberbands and let each kid choose a color. At the beg. of the day, they put their rubberband on their cup.

[KidsHappen]

Somehow, I end up with kitchen utencils that aren't even mine though. I currently have a plate, a bowl, a glass, two forks, a different kind of fork, a spoon, a Kleen canteen, a sippy cup? and a coffee cup. None of the kids are coffee or sippy cup age. :confused:

[Ellie]

Put a big ol' pitcher of water out on the porch (or whatever thing your house has, lol). Write kids' names on plastic cups, one for each kid. They all have to use the same cup all day.

[ChristusG]

I fill one sippy in the morning and set them on the counter. If you lose it, you search till you find it if you want water. Okay, if the search goes on for too long then I'll grab another cup for them....but they have to make an effort to find it before I'll get another. I used to go through cup after cup after cup. I was tired of washing cups so I designated one for the day.

[Chelle in MO]

We have a frig in the garage. I keep a hard, plastic water bottle in there for each of my kids and every neighbor kid who wants one. The bottles are labeled w/a Sharpie. I also keep a large container of water in there, so they can refill anytime w/out coming inside.

 

Of course, you have to have an outside frig for this to work!

[Miss Peregrine]

I am not a fan of disposable anything but I buy Dixie cups for the neighbor kids. They even know where to find them. :)

[Amy loves Bud]

All the cups are labeled with Sharpies for all the neighborhood kids. And mostly the kids use their own. There are just so many of them and I get tired of seeing them on my counter. And also, Romy tries to drink out of them. I used to keep a rubbermaid cooler out front, but it's kind of a hassle to keep clean. I'd rather them just dispense water from the fridge as needed.

 

Really it's fine, I'm just grumpy today. :001_smile:

 

Thanks for commiserating!

[chickenpatty]

I have seriously considered having a water fountain installed in our laundry room. There are actually hookups for a sink there, so maybe I could? Hmmm...

[Katiebug_1976]

I was really ready for summer. And I'm loving it.

 

But there are so many darn cups on my kitchen counter. They play, they come in and drink, they go outside, they come in and drink more form different cups, rinse and repeat. All 11,000 kids in the neighborhood. I don't think their families have running water.

 

:glare:

 

:lol:I'm glad it's not just at my house. It gets so frustrating!!! I fear my dishwasher will soon go on strike!

[abbeyej]

We put these little suction-cup monsters on the kids' glasses:

http://www.amazon.com/Vacu-Vin-Glass-Markers-People/dp/B002BH34SA

 

Even the neighbor kids picked some out, so we can just have *one* glass per child over the course of the day, rather than a new glass for every drink of water. Yes, they can pop off (and they work better if you dampen the suction cups first), but we haven't had any real problems.

[Chelle in MO]

We put these little suction-cup monsters on the kids' glasses:

http://www.amazon.com/Vacu-Vin-Glass-Markers-People/dp/B002BH34SA

 

Even the neighbor kids picked some out, so we can just have *one* glass per child over the course of the day, rather than a new glass for every drink of water. Yes, they can pop off (and they work better if you dampen the suction cups first), but we haven't had any real problems.

 

Those are WAY too cute!

[Denisemomof4]

If you use Vis-a-Vis markers, you can run the cups through the dishwasher, and just relabel them for the next day.

 

thank you SO MUCH. You are my hero.

;)

[Nestof3]

For a while, I had a contact papered piece of paper. It was comprised of rectangles with one name in each retangle. The cup went in that space. It helped because they always knew which cup was whose, and the cups were always in the same place.

[mom31257]

I have actually considered packing up everything "extra" in my kitchen, leaving a set of silverware, plate, bowl, and cup for each person. Then it has to be washed before the next use. I do have friends and family come over some, so I would have to keep them handy, though.

 

Is that crazy?

[PollyOR]

I have actually considered packing up everything "extra" in my kitchen, leaving a set of silverware, plate, bowl, and cup for each person. Then it has to be washed before the next use. I do have friends and family come over some, so I would have to keep them handy, though.

 

Is that crazy?

 

My sister bought a different set for each of her six kids. Nope, not crazy. They didn't have a dishwasher and she was tired of never having any clean dishes.

[silliness7]

My kids are partial to the water from the downstairs bathroom sink. They say it tastes colder and fresher. Whatever...but the upside is they drink out of it like a water fountain. Just stick their head under. The other day I was at the grocery and actually saw a product that was designed to fit on your spigot and make it more fountain like. I didn't get it 'cause what they are doing works just fine but it made me feel less "weird" :001_smile:

[LaissezFaire]

I bought a stack of colored stainless steel cups (by ecococcoon). Each kid has their own color and I keep them on a low shelf. They drink, rinse and return them to the shelf. It's so very nice to not have a sinkful of cups!

[aggieamy]

I have seriously considered having a water fountain installed in our laundry room. There are actually hookups for a sink there, so maybe I could? Hmmm...

 

That would be awesome. I love water fountain water and I always thought if I was really rich I'd have one installed.

 

Also, the tag lines on this thread are really cute.