We have a bit of a problem in our house.  With mess.

I admit it, I’m not the most tidy person in the world, and neither is the husband.  The boy is, well he’s a five year old boy.  How many kids of that age really care that their toys are scattered across multiple floors and surfaces, finding their way into every nook and cranny in what is not an overly large house. 

Yesterday we started a mega-clean operation in the house.  About 30 seconds after we agreed it was time, the husband disappeared to receive a delivery at the hub and left me alone with the boy to start attacking that mess.  Most of which consisted of tiny individual lego pieces. 

As I attacked one part of the house, I screamed and shouted and pleaded with the boy to just pick up his toys.  Would he?  You guess it: no.  “I want something to eat first,” “only if you help me,” “Mum, you do it”.  He tried them all, but I wouldn’t budge.  In the end I gave up just to be in with a chance of clearing another bit of the house.

Then we got back last night and both I and the husband warned him that if he didn’t tidy up, he’d lose all his lego.  The same excuses came out again and eventually he decided that he wanted to go to bed.  Fine, but that lego might be gone in the morning.  He’d been warned, and once he was safely asleep we boxed up all five large boxes of lego and hid them in the broom cupboard.

This morning the boy got up and wandered downstairs.  He picked up some cars to play with, and it wasn’t until a while later that he realised the lego was gone.  Upstairs he went to complain to his dad.  I’m not entirely sure of his thought process with that one; the husband is ruthless and the boy’s got even less chance of him giving the lego back than me.  The husband told him that the lego had gone because he hadn’t tidied up his toys and he wouldn’t even have a chance of getting it back until he’d tidied everything else up.

“I don’t care!”  That defiant voice came out again. 
“If you don’t tidy up we’ll put all that lego into black sacks and put it out in the bin.”
“I don’t care!”

And that’s how it goes.  I suggested to the boy this morning that he might want to start tidying the rest of his toys but instead he’s picked one up and continued playing.  I wonder how much I could get on e-bay for five larged boxes of assorted lego?