Who on here had the trash bag idea?
You know, where everything left on the floor gets thrown in a trash bag and thrown away? Whoever mentioned that on here...thanks! This weekend I got my bag out! My bios 4 and 5 are pretty good about picking up after themselves. Yes, I constantly remind them but most of the time they do it right away. Sometimes yeah, they complain but they put their hungs back where they go. In my house I am very organized. I am a little OCD so everything has a place and my kids are learning to put things back. That said, when ss visits it seems everyone forgets the rules. Idk how, but just having one extra kid over my house is messier! Then eow dh acts like an idiot kid and it's like I have 5 kids instead of 4. I'm tired of them thinking I'm a maid eow.
So...yesterday I got out the bag and told them whatever is found on the floor will go in my bag. (I have no intention of throwing things out...just hiding things until they realize they are missing then eventually having them reappear again.) Bios jumped on it and picked up. Just the sound of a trash bag opening scared them into picking up! Dh started laughing and didn't take me seriously causing ss to laugh it off. Just then I announced I'm picking up these socks... Andwalked off. Sstold dh, "were those my socks?! I only brought 2 pairs." (yes they were) So ss has been wearing one pair of socks all weekend. I wonder how long it'll take before they take me seriously...
Yes! And my house has stayed
Yes! And my house has stayed picked up! Right now o have ss socks, his CELL phone and his shirt. He has laughed everytime I pick up ds's toys and put it in the bag because it is 'funny' that I'm throwing away his toys. (they think I'm going to throw these things away) Dh and I exchange glances and laugh because we both know ss new phone is in my bag! He's been looking for it. I'll give it back to him before he leaves but not after warning him first that I'm serious about keeping those things in the future.
That would be me, amongst
That would be me, amongst others, and believe you me, it works like a charm. There's nothing quite like seeing all your beloved crap shoved into the rubbish bin to make you aware that your mother is dead darn serious about cleaning up that room!
I've only had to do it once, to my boys, and my little girls got the lesson just from observation. Worked like a charm!
What a great idea!
What a great idea!
The trash bag method has been
The trash bag method has been suggested by many. It does work. I tend to not give the crap back I really do throw it away.
Have fun with the trash bags.
Best regards,
I have mentioned it many
I have mentioned it many times, as I use it pretty regularly. i do not throw away, as I might then have to replace something, and we have primary custody. I would be losing my own money if I threw it away. The kids know if they can't find something after awhile, that it must be in the bag, and they can work to get it back. If it stays in the bag over a month or so, it must not really be a needed item, and I end up repackaging and washing items as needed and delivering those things to Goodwill. Then when they ask for it, like two months later, I can say i gave it to a child who REALLY needed it.
Well I must say it has worked
Well I must say it has worked instantly! I thought at first everyone would blow it off. My bios took to it right away. As soon as 'the bag' came out they started cleaning but they are generally pretty good about it anyway. I let ss slide this time and warned them all next time I'm keeping the stuff. An hour before dh was to take ss back home, ss was shirtless looking thru all the cushions for his cell phone. But he never once asked me if I had it. I wondered if he would have just left without it. But right before he left I took out my bag and let the kids reclaim what they wanted an told them all this was a warning and from now on no chances. Ss got his stuff out and stormed out the door. Ha ha! I like the ideaabout them earning their things back. That will work well with my bios.
I have got to try that its a
I have got to try that its a nitemare in my house when things get left on the floor as either my 18 month old gets it and eats it or the dog lol. Like the time the girls were playing with there pens left them on the floor the dog ate it and went from a highland white to highland pink lol.
xx
I use this method as well and
I use this method as well and it works wonders!
I did something to one of my
I did something to one of my bio son's when he was younger. Both boys were to clean their rooms each Sunday, and always did a great job. Suddenly oldest son just stopped doing it, or would sort of push things around and pretend. He didn't care if I was going to make him stay in his room all day, because it was Sunday and he preferred the sleep the day away anyhow.
So one Sunday, I told him it needed to be done by 2pm, or I would come and do it for him. Apparently he thought that was awesome! Mom's gonna clean my room. You should have seen the look on his face when I walked in the the trash barrel, a rake and a shovel
I used the rake and started dragging everything to a pile in the center, even the stuff under his bed. Then the the shovel to toss it into the trash can, while saying things like, "Was that your favorite truck?" LOL He started snatching things up and putting them where they belonged. I never had to do it again.
Ha! That is funny! I tried it
Ha! That is funny! I tried it for the first time. Ss almost left the house shirtless and without his cell phone. He knew it was in my bag but would rather leave without his items than ask for them. Since this was my first weekend to try it I had no intention of throwing things away but told everyone thy had a second chance and next time their stuff would be gone! I continued it this week with bios and ds4 comes to me with a broken toy, "here mommy, you can put this in your bag. I don't want it." Silly boy. Also dh said, "I thought we were only doing that when ss is here?" so far it has been effective though.
That's great that you are
That's great that you are keeping it up! That way, no one can accuse you of picking on SS
HA I really like that!!!!!
HA I really like that!!!!!
LOL i have been doing that to
LOL i have been doing that to dh's laundry for two months now. When we moved to the new house, i just picked up all the trash bags full of dirty laundry and brought them with us. theyre sitting in a corner of the laundry room and he has been recycling four shirts and two pairs of pants for the last week. I dont care if he stinks. Im not doing it.