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?
noooo baby!!!
you can’t flog the lego! I play… I mean… engineer some cool stuff with it as well…
how about my idea: If he doesn;t tidy up he loses his xbox privileges until he does it and every day he doesn;t do it he loses one toy…
heyyyyyy… why isn’t comment luv showing my latest post????
.-= urbanvox said Who’s afraid of chages?!?! =-.
Glowstars Reply:
July 6th, 2009 at 10:18
yeah – cos your idea’s working so well at the moment…
I loved Lego as a child. Amazing to think it’s still just as popular today.
.-= Milo said Cry little sister – thou shall not fall =-.
Glowstars Reply:
July 6th, 2009 at 10:20
Mum kept a lot of our old lego so he’s got something to play with when we go over there. The mother in law got tons which has mostly made its way over to ours.
When we were little, we ended up with all mum’s cousins’ lego too. That stuff will last forever!
We had hours of fun with Lego.
We also had the threat of losing stuff if we didn’t tidy up.
Glowstars Reply:
July 6th, 2009 at 10:21
I only wish the threats were working…
I hate asking the boys to clean up. Because I know I am going to end up yelling. One time we did actually box up a bunch of stuff that they weren’t tidying up, and told them we were throwing it out. It’s been in the basement ever since. No one has asked for it. Tactic completely failed. Clean up time makes me grrrrrrrr. Easier just to do it myself.
.-= Emma said Summer times =-.
Glowstars Reply:
July 6th, 2009 at 10:24
Funnily enough, the boy’s paid a lot of attention to every other toy that had been pushed aside in favour of the lego. Maybe this could be a good thing.
I still refuse to tidy for him though – I guess he’s got to learn sometime and the sooner the better!
if there is too much out, you can’t see it all, so it has no appeal. In a few weeks/months swap a few things around again, keeping the hidden stuff in crates works, it is like having new toys every few months and saves buying anything new. Floor stays tidier even in no one tidies, there is just less stuff
)
xc
.-= Mrs Hojo said Quadruple Pneumonia + One =-.
Glowstars Reply:
July 7th, 2009 at 09:55
You might be right with that one – he’s not made a big fuss about having the lego back (or not to me anyways) despite it being one of his most favourite toys.