JessReplanted Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 :banghead: My son has wasted hours today looking for a calculator. He needs a calculator to complete a section of his math. His sisters also joined in the hunt. They never found it. I was dealing with a separate crisis and I have no idea if anyone has gotten any school work done today. This lost calculator thing makes me feel absolutely crazy because it is such a common occurrence around here. What systems do you have in place for dealing with this type of stuff? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Keep reminding them many many times to put things in a set place when they are done using them. (Let them weigh in on what would be the most logical place to store the item.) [Put things away myself since nobody listens half of the time anyway.] Teach the "retrace your steps" technique. Tell them they can't do some fun thing until they find the item. Make them clean their room until they find the item. Make them buy the next one out of their own $$ (or do extra work to earn it). Make them clean their room / area more frequently as a consequence of being disorganized. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 It all has a home. If it isn't in its home start cleaning until you find it. You could threaten to buy a bunch of string and tie it all down. In our house the calculator is an app on the computer or my phone, so I would notice if it were missing. That would be another option to limit the amount of time spent during school looking for that particular item. I agree about a natural consequence being cleaning up until it is found before free time starts. Sorry. Frustrating to lose things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 In 95% of the cases, I go into my child's room, look in the obvious place where one would suspect the item should be located, and retrieve the missing item. Typically takes me less than two minutes, rarely more than five. It is very rare that something requires an actual search. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 In that particular case I'd sigh, pull up the calculator on my phone, and tell the kid that if we had to replace the old one it's coming out of the allowance. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 I look for it myself. :glare: We have a saying that it's not lost till mom can't find it. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 This is about 50% of my day so you don't want my advice 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 When that happens here, I send dh in to look for it. With the exception of a dress shoe (just one, not the pair) and one library book he has always found what's missing. In the instance of the calculator, I'd probably do something similar to Tanaqui and send dh in to look when he was home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 It depends. I put it in the hands of the kid most of the time. Goodness knows I won't always be around. Immediate steps: Can a replacement be found? Could work be done with a computer calculator? If so, go with that. If not, Can you make a plan to buy a new one ASAP? We make sure our kids establish 'emergency funds' they can pull from in a true emergency. Long term, after the situation has been dealt with in the meantime: CLEAN YOUR ROOM! :D That usually produces the missing item. For common recurrences we encourage better plans in place. My teen has 5 slides for his neckerchief. He loses them. I know he'll lose it, he knows he'll lose it, it's not something that he can produce a replacement to at the drop of a hat. He made and bought a few on his own to keep in his drawer just for when he'd lose it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 If it's truly lost, then DS has to contribute to the cost of a replacement. If it's not lost and DS says he still can't find it after looking and then I go back through and find it, he loses privileges for wasting my time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Queen Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 If he couldn't use a calculator on a cell phone or on a computer I'd have him work on all the other school subjects he had to do, and then search for the calculator...by himself...and then do the math. Our home is so decluttered it looks a little bare. The kids and I do housework daily. Once or twice a week, I have one of the children reorganize the messy parts of the storage closet where we keep all our school supplies. Being disorganized is a drain. It feels so good to have a cute, neat home. (Don't hate me) Some decluttering inspiration http://www.largefamiliesonpurpose.com/2011/04/de-cluttering-first-steps-to.html My cleaning system is based on the Sidetracked Home Executives book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Keep reminding them many many times to put things in a set place when they are done using them. (Let them weigh in on what would be the most logical place to store the item.) [Put things away myself since nobody listens half of the time anyway.] Teach the "retrace your steps" technique. Tell them they can't do some fun thing until they find the item. Make them clean their room until they find the item. Make them buy the next one out of their own $$ (or do extra work to earn it). Make them clean their room / area more frequently as a consequence of being disorganized. This. It's not just my kids, though. It's my husband too. He's lost his wallet :eek: three times in the last year. It's always been at home (and we knew it was - just where?!), but still... The last time, I bought him a Bluetooth tracker tile and required him to stick it in his wallet. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 I do this: :banghead: Then I bite my tongue because I was just like that when I was a teen. Then I try to help look for it. Most of the time, I can find it for him, or he eventually finds it for himself. I eventually lost enough important things that I learned how to make my own systems and habits. I still spend time looking for my car keys or purse on the (now rare) occasions I've forgotten to put them on the key hook hanging just inside the kitchen door or on the corner of the counter just inside the kitchen door. And so forth. He'll get it eventually, but I'm not holding out much hope that he'll learn before he leaves home. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 I'll post some suggestions after we find dh's sunglasses. He swears he left them right there on the kitchen table, but apparently they got up and left on their own. AGAIN. :glare: DS15, on the other hand, rarely loses anything. The kid watches his stuff like a hawk. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Keep reminding them many many times to put things in a set place when they are done using them. (Let them weigh in on what would be the most logical place to store the item.) [Put things away myself since nobody listens half of the time anyway.] Teach the "retrace your steps" technique. Tell them they can't do some fun thing until they find the item. Make them clean their room until they find the item. Make them buy the next one out of their own $$ (or do extra work to earn it). Make them clean their room / area more frequently as a consequence of being disorganized. :iagree: especially the part I bolded. *I* might want to keep something in a box on a shelf in the kitchen, but if *they* mostly use it in the living room, then it lives there- both so they can easily PUT IT AWAY and find it themselves later. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 This. It's not just my kids, though. It's my husband too. He's lost his wallet :eek: three times in the last year. It's always been at home (and we knew it was - just where?!), but still... The last time, I bought him a Bluetooth tracker tile and required him to stick it in his wallet. Off to purchase a dozen or so of these tracker tiles - for DH's wallet, keys, work badge, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 It all has a home. If it isn't in its home start cleaning until you find it. <snip> I agree about a natural consequence being cleaning up until it is found before free time starts. Sorry. Frustrating to lose things. This is sort of how I handle it. However, I would temporarily table the math (or whatever the item-required subject is), move on to complete the other school work, with the clean til you find it coming at the end of the day and then of course the missed lesson. I try to help them anticipate the evening before for days when there are outclasses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Usually ( and I have those distracted days too) we move on to the other stuff then they need to find it and do the work. If they don't find it all day they will be 1) buying a new one 2) if it's too expensive work it off an probably have their school extended to Sat to catch up. My youngest is 8 though, when they were below 6or 7 I sometimes helped eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 I would tell him/her to skip it and hopefully it will turn up by tomorrow. I wouldn't waste more than 5 minutes looking for it. Or you could offer a piece of candy to whomever can locate the lost object. :) Chances are, said object will appear quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 First I tell my kids to look under/behind their bed and behind their bedside table. Lost stuff tends to migrate there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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