From Trash to Treasure! A Whole New Meaning.

As moms we all experience the daily tornado that comes through the door after school, and I am always amazed at the damage that can occur in the playroom, bathroom and bedrooms in just 2 short hours until dinner. I have tried everything from denial to yelling, and nothing seems to click. Well, thanks to Carla, my dear friend in San Diego, I have been using her method of getting kids to clean. So far, so good!

First, you give fair warning, and an explanation of what is going to occur each night 30 minutes before bed time. You are going to quietly go through the above mentioned rooms with a trash bag and pick up every item that is on the floor. There is to be no discussion or crying about it. They have been given the opportunity to clean up after dinner, and if they choose not to, the items go away until they can earn them back by having clean rooms the next night. This might mean the occasional missing shoe, so they may have to wear shoes that don't match the outfit, etc.... It sounded kind of harsh to me at first, and I envisioned loads of trash bags stored in my garage, however, it is really working. They have actually taken me seriously. I'll let you know next week if this seems to be working. So far, their treasures are safe from the trash!