I have warned too many times, now I'm doing!

[amo_mea_filiis.]

My kids are losing their clothes tonight, and the toy room is being locked up.

 

They will each have access to ONE complete outfit. They can work together to wash their clothes or not have something to wear the next day which means we do not go anywhere.

 

I am being nice. I told dd she would have 2 outfits and had to hand wash and line dry. I may make them hand wash if they are still lazy with single outfits.

 

Laundry for 3 people should not take days. Cleaning should not add piles of laundry. Socks should be put IN THE BASKET when taken off.

 

They can pick out a single category of toy. When that toy is cared for daily, they can earn access to another.

 

I don't yet know how they can earn back their clothes.

[thessa516]

:lol:

 

Apparently I'm not the only one that has a pile of laundry to do after the kids clean their rooms. :glare:

 

I must be super nice, because I let my boys keep 7 shirts/shorts each. :D

[Home'scool]

Good for you! When my kids were younger I had to do this a few times.

 

You get results REAL fast! :001_smile:

[TammyS]

Good for you. In my experience most of the families I know have way too many clothes and not nearly socks and underwear. I believe you need 3 pairs of pants (or two if you like to run close the rails), 3 shirts, and 15 pairs of socks and underwear. All socks and underwear should be white and the same (that way you don't have to match them and can toss singles when they get holes). Makes life easier.

[mo2]

Hehe

 

I have trouble getting my kids to wear clothes.

 

:lol: Me too.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Hehe

 

I have trouble getting my kids to wear clothes.

 

Dd will have a night shirt to wear while doing laundry. Ds runs around naked most of the time so he will not have one. Hopefully he will get mad and start demanding a night shirt! Lol.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I wouldn't count on it. LOL

 

I'm going with the thought that peopke want what they can't have. :)

[happi duck]

**slow claps**

 

You go, mama!

[fraidycat]

:bigear: I will be following this to see how it all turns out. I've been tempted to do the same thing, but I haven't threatened it yet. Toys yes, clothes, no. My kids would wander around in the same nasty dirty clothes for daaaaaaays and not care. I have to force them to change clothes when we are going somewhere because they will get out of bed or the shower and put on their dirty clothes from the day before.

[AmyontheFarm]

I gave the oldest two a very small backpack and told them that whatever they could put into it they could keep. The rest I took from them. Oh the tears!!! Did it work? For about 6 months. I need to do it again.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

We've locked up the toys before and they had to earn them back. They still don't keep them cleaned up unless I nag. They might be heading for an empty room again.

 

Mine have been bickering and fighting non stop. When I came home from dance class this evening, my sister, who had been watching them, was sitting on the ottoman facing the two of them on the couch. They had been fighting while I was gone. I've been threatening them with summer camp if they kept fighting, so tonight I told them that since we can't afford real summer camp, they have to do Mommy Camp. So far, they had to read a couple chapters in books I've assigned, clean the kitchen from dinner and read me a book about Tchaikovsky!

 

Good luck with your plan!

[Dory]

My mom did that a few times to me, I haven't hit that point yet with my kids, although I'm getting pretty close.

I had to keep my clothes clean and folded nicely every night in order to earn back one more article of clothing. It took me a very long time to earn them all back (I was a little older when she took my clothes). With earning them back slowly though, I found it was easier to get used to putting away more clothes and taking care of them, then it had been when I just all of a sudden had lots of clothes to care for (especially after back to school shopping). It worked on me for almost a year, and then we got to do it again. :D

[misidawnrn]

I should try this!!! I swear, I have told my 8yo DD to bring her basket to the laundry room when it is full. I do laundry almost every day. She brings it to me when she has no clean panties or no clean pants to wear. UGH. hmmmmm maybe going to clean a certain 8yo's room tomorrow!!!

[EducationX2]

Hehe

 

I have trouble getting my kids to wear clothes.

 

:lol: I was thinking this same thing. If I told DD I was taking all her clothes, she would be THRILLED! She loves being naked. It has seriously just been in the last... oh, 6 months, that I've gotten her to stay clothed. And it's taken a concerted effort from me and real focus that she is not a baby anymore, and is growing up, and "the front window is wide open, mind covering your b*tt up so the whole neighborhood doesn't it?" :tongue_smilie:

[Rosyl]

This is so where I am. Last night I felt an overwhelming urge to keep one outfit per child wash at night, wear next day.

 

you are so right...cleaning the house should not equal an avalanche of laundry.

[Mo_Babee]

I'm going in to my DSs room right now to do this. I am not kidding! I have never thought of this but it's perfect. I really appreciate you posting this. Their room is always a mess but there is nothing but clothes strewn about. I will take a picture and upload it (if I can,I use my phone so I don't know how to upload, but if I figure it out you'll see what I mean.)

 

They clean up one day and the next every article of clothing they own is on the floor again...smh

 

Here we go!!!

 

 

ETA: Less than 20 minutes later and Operation: Clothing Boot Camp is in full effect. Oh my you should've seen the look on their faces when I explained what was going to happen. ::D:

Edited June 27, 2012 by Mo_Babee
UPDATE

[amo_mea_filiis.]

My area really stinks! The weather has been so inconsistent that i need to leave them 2 outfits. It has ranged from 90's to chilly.

 

I am storing everything in covered bins in the shed (no attic or basement for storage). It will be easiely visible so if one or both earns back an outfit, there's no shuffling through clothes.

 

My plan is a week at a time. Each evening after ds bathes, he will put his clothes in the washer with soap. When dd finishes bathing, she will put in her stuff, start the washer and switch it when it's done. In the morning, ds will take the clothes from the dryer and sort them. I will not be running crazy small loads daily, so i will make sure to put cleaning rags, my clothes, etc. this will be good work for ds (sorting).

 

Each week that goes by without nagging (i will help, but not nag or control) they can pick out a new outfit. If i find something downstairs or anywhere else it should not be, i take it. They have to pick a random chore card, complete that chore, and will be hand washing that item (likely to be socks, bra, or underwear) for a week. If hand washing fails, it will then have to be line dried and i know that ds will not like the way it feels.

 

Toys- everything has been tossed into the toy room and the door shut. Each has a few toys to keep out (ds has 6 small action figures, think happy meal sized, and dd has 2 lego bionicle robots). They still have access to all art/coloring/drawing stuff. If they ask, i will let them gi in the toy room for books since all goosebumps and other "fluff" types are kept there.

 

For 15 minutes each day, the 3 of us will go in there, sort and organize the toys. When the room is clean (it's really, really tiny which is even harder to work with) they can earn one toy type each week as long as everything is cared for and put away before bed. Legos will be that last possible item that ds can earn back.

 

Before i go to bed, i will police the house and if any toys are out, they go in toy time out. To get it back, a chore card must be picked and completed, but that toy goes back in the room for another week.

 

I am not going to go insane keeping track of which clothing items or toys were left on which days, so everything is saturday. From sun to sat, i will keep an eye on things left around. If socks are left out on a sun night, they have to be hand washed until the gollowing sun. If it happens on a friday night, it'll only be a couple days.

 

I have already added the tracking sheets to my binder, and now i am off to finish up the clothes.

[Amy Jo]

Timely thread. My kids almost lost their legos yesterday (most of the other toys are already stored). And they might still lose them [legos], I am tired of nagging them [kids] and tired of stepping on them [legos].

 

... they have to do Mommy Camp. So far, they had to read a couple chapters in books I've assigned, clean the kitchen from dinner and read me a book about Tchaikovsky!

 

Hmmm I :001_wub: that idea. Mine need a Mommy camp too. We are working on sleep & meal schedules right now. I sent them outside this morning because they were whiny (didn't want to sleep when they were sent to bed). After about 45 min. of moping they are playing now. I even made them go to the trampoline to mope - not the front porch.

 

:lol: I was thinking this same thing. If I told DD I was taking all her clothes, she would be THRILLED! She loves being naked. It has seriously just been in the last... oh, 6 months, that I've gotten her to stay clothed. And it's taken a concerted effort from me and real focus that she is not a baby anymore, and is growing up, and "the front window is wide open, mind covering your b*tt up so the whole neighborhood doesn't it?" :tongue_smilie:

 

*sigh* and I was hoping to get my 2.5 yo to wear clothing for more than 1 hour at a time. At least I'm not the only one!

 

My area really stinks! The weather has been so inconsistent that i need to leave them 2 outfits. It has ranged from 90's to chilly.

 

I am storing everything in covered bins in the shed (no attic or basement for storage). It will be easiely visible so if one or both earns back an outfit, there's no shuffling through clothes.

 

My plan is a week at a time. Each evening after ds bathes, he will put his clothes in the washer with soap. When dd finishes bathing, she will put in her stuff, start the washer and switch it when it's done. In the morning, ds will take the clothes from the dryer and sort them. I will not be running crazy small loads daily, so i will make sure to put cleaning rags, my clothes, etc. this will be good work for ds (sorting).

 

Each week that goes by without nagging (i will help, but not nag or control) they can pick out a new outfit. If i find something downstairs or anywhere else it should not be, i take it. They have to pick a random chore card, complete that chore, and will be hand washing that item (likely to be socks, bra, or underwear) for a week. If hand washing fails, it will then have to be line dried and i know that ds will not like the way it feels.

 

Toys- everything has been tossed into the toy room and the door shut. Each has a few toys to keep out (ds has 6 small action figures, think happy meal sized, and dd has 2 lego bionicle robots). They still have access to all art/coloring/drawing stuff. If they ask, i will let them gi in the toy room for books since all goosebumps and other "fluff" types are kept there.

 

For 15 minutes each day, the 3 of us will go in there, sort and organize the toys. When the room is clean (it's really, really tiny which is even harder to work with) they can earn one toy type each week as long as everything is cared for and put away before bed. Legos will be that last possible item that ds can earn back.

 

Before i go to bed, i will police the house and if any toys are out, they go in toy time out. To get it back, a chore card must be picked and completed, but that toy goes back in the room for another week.

 

I am not going to go insane keeping track of which clothing items or toys were left on which days, so everything is saturday. From sun to sat, i will keep an eye on things left around. If socks are left out on a sun night, they have to be hand washed until the gollowing sun. If it happens on a friday night, it'll only be a couple days.

 

I have already added the tracking sheets to my binder, and now i am off to finish up the clothes.

 

Sounds like a good plan. I might copy parts of it. I never thought of doing this with the laundry. I can't take all their clothes - we have to much temperature & weather change here. But I like the random chore idea. Today they will be cleaning up their room. If they don't I might change my mind and take some clothes away.

 

I think we'll be doing random chores to redeem shoes too - they are not being put away and I made that EASY to do. I'm about to go nuts - no one else cares how the house looks but me. (And I'm easily overwhelmed lately - not good when everything depends on me enforcing rules.)

 

Mommy Camp .... bwahaha ... :gnorsi:

[amo_mea_filiis.]

If you have crazy weather, just leave one of each. I have to leave sweats and shorts because its been so weird.

[momacacia]

Can I do this with my own clothes?:lol: What a way to declutter the closet!

[Juniper]

MY kids are at camp right now, so I could just go into their rooms and box up all their clothes right now. When they get home they have the six outfits and 3 church outfits they packed. That should work right?! :D

[Sue G in PA]

:lol: You go, Mom! I got so sick of my son and his talking back, disrespect, and utter nastiness to me one day that I took away his pillow, blanket, mattress, toys and clothes. He had to earn each back by doing chores of my choice. :D And apologize to me...sincerely.

[Geo]

:hurray:...similar debriefing going on here!

[lovinmomma]

Wow. This sounds good. :) :lurk5:

[Eileen Aroon]

I just filled a big box with toys from my dd3's room. She still has plenty of stuff to play with and can put it away in her drawers if I ask her. The funniest person to watch when I declutter is my dh. He gets so paranoid that I threw stuff away that was important but he can never tell me more than three things that were in the pile of stuff I tidied up.

 

My friend's mom used to clean out all their toys and stuff if they were messy. She called it "skeletonizing" the room. So now you have an official term for it.

[Sharon37127]

I'm binging this thread back to life because it is exactly where I am at. I have an 11yo DS and an 8yo DS is the same room. Unfortunately, due to the set up of the house, when you enter the back door (which we use) you walk directly through their room. It is a disaster area. You name, it's in there. Garbage, papers, projects, toys, dirty clothes...

 

DH and I went in there to replace the slats in bottom bunk last night. I found a full of milk that had been set on the floor next to the bed knocked over on carpet. So, here I am- 9 at night- kids need to go to bed- I am boxing junk, pushing everything out from under the bed, scrubbing milk out of the carpet, and getting serious "Mommy Madness" angry.

 

Then I felt like such a failure as a mom. Where did I fail in teaching them how to keep their space clean?

 

Today is a new day. We are going to "computer fast" this week, clean the room, box stuff up to store, and earn 1 toy & outfit a week. I am sick of it. Too much stuff, too little responsibility. Not anymore.

 

Wish me luck folks!

[Night Elf]

I hope you ladies give occasional reports on how this project is going. I'm curious what the kids think and if it's made a difference in their attitudes.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

My father was here on wed-fri and we went to ny on sat, so my plans were a bit messed with.

 

However, sunday morning, dd had left her shorts and socks in the dining room. When she got up, she picked them up and put them in the basket without reminding. It started a change. We are back in full swing now. I did not make either hand wash for incidents while my father was here, but now the rules are posted.

 

I will update at the end of the week.

[Ewe Mama]

I must have been feeling the Hive buzzing because I just logged in this morning (after staying off all weekend) and discovered this thread.

 

Yesterday I pared my 3 sons' wardrobes down to 4 pair of shorts and 4 t-shirts, 5 pair of socks and undies each, and 2 pair of pj's (boxers and t-shirts). They also have two church outfits which are stored in my closet so I know I won't catch them fingerpainting in their "good" clothes. I also color-coded their hangers so I know the culprit when I find hangers lying on the floor.

 

I'm dreading dealing with the girls' closet today (especially the 4 year old's things as she has more clothes than any person on the face of the earth should ever own... Hand me downs are a mixed blessing.)

[renmew]

This post is catching! And, yes, the pp is correct about hand me downs being a mixed blessing. My three kids do have too much clothing; 99% of it is hand me down, and I am afraid to pass on too much since I don't want to have to buy something later on.

 

Yesterday the girls and I tackled their room. Between their two beds is one of those IKEA 3x3 shelf storage things with 3 colorful cloth buckets. I told them ALL their books belong on the shelves, neatly, and any toys they want to keep have to fit in one of the three buckets. That is it, except for their dress-up clothes in the closet (I need to get rid of some of those, too, and figure out a container for that). We shorted toys together, and if I said it was okay, they could decide to keep or donate. We had one large bag of trash and 2 boxes of toys to donate. I don't have time to box things up to be earned back; no room for it, so it's gone for good.

 

Their room looks so nice this morning.

[lisamarie]

Thank you!!! I was just thinking about posting what to do with my DDs' bedroom. It is ALWAYS messy. I have purged it, helped them clean it, given them baskets for everything, and yet every. single. day. it's like they take every toy they own and throw it on the floor and then walk away.

 

My new tactic--one outfit a day, and I will give them a new outfit once their dirty one is in the hamper. I am going to remove their clothes from their room and put it in the office closet.

 

Toys--I'm going to box it all up except for one category. They can earn another category after faithfully cleaning up their current toys for a week.

 

I'm just done with their mess.

[Ghee]

I don't have time to box things up to be earned back; no room for it, so it's gone for good.

 

 

 

:iagree: I understand what the OP is doing, and I see how it would work in her situation. Ours is a bit different. We are trying to move, I know it will be a probably large downsize from where we are now, and things that aren't used ALL. THE. TIME just have to go. I have given each of my children ONE large rubbermaid tote, and whatever fits in there can make the move with us. Everything else is either trash, donation, or yard sale fodder. At least I know they want what we unpack!

 

My poor boys, they get ONE bin. DD technically gets 2 - 1 is dedicated to American Girl. But really, a lot of it was mine, so it's kind of my bin LOL I know the boys may not find that fair, though. They just have to remember that some of THEIR outgrown toys that are being saved will be boxed in Nana's basement.