clutter and kids

[LLMom]

I hate clutter.  It really gets my spirit out of whack and makes me grumpy.  I have 5 children at home plus Dh so there is a lot of stuff.  Kids get home from school and drop everything in the living area.  Dh the same.  I try to have a general pick up every evening so that the dirty clothes get where they belong and the lunch boxes make it to the kitchen.  Some nights this happens but not always because of late night activities, lots of homework, or I am too tired and forget.  Next morning, I (along with my 1 homeschooled child) are left with the remnants.  I find dirty clothes in the bathroom, towels left in the bedrooms, etc. I tell them over and over again to pick up after themselves, but it rarely works.  I have begun picking up their stuff so I feel more at peace during the days.  The clutter really bothers me, but I want them to learn to do it.  If I always do it, they have no reason to.  What can I do on those days that are so crazy that we don't get to it?  That happens more times than not right now because of baseball/softball season. 

[Berta]

I solved the laundry issue by making those things left laying around disappear. When my kids were younger I used to have a clear bucket that I kept up on a top shelf. If they left a toy out, fighting over a toy or refused to clean up their toys, they went into the clear box. Clear is the key. They can SEE the toys, but can't touch it. That was a reminder that if they want to keep their stuff, they need to put them away or not fight over them. I did that a few times with my daughters clothes. When she wanted her favorite pair of jeans, she found them in the NO TOUCH box lol.. It didn't take long for her to pick her clothes up off the floor.

[Kevin'sMom]

Here are the items not allowed in our common space: dishes, textiles, shoes. I put two baskets near the living room for the textiles/shoes. No TV or computer time if these are in the living room. Since my husband claims none of the items are his (they are), I pick his up and dump them on his side of the bed as a reminder. This keeps a serious bunch of stuff out of the way. Unfortunately, I like clutter :huh:, so there is plenty of other stuff around that I should clean up!