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foxy lady
07-05-2008, 10:32 AM
last night i finished work @ 5.55pm, it took me till 6.45pm to tidy up my garden:blush: . i think i got a bit carried away :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
this is what we had out to play with in the garden yesterday
1: paddling pool
2: 11 bikes and trikes
3: 17 balls and bats
4: sand pit
5: 3 skipping ropes
6: easel
7: threading beads
8: duplo
9: 2 pogo sticks
10: trampoline
11: 6 large trucks
12: musical instruments
13: plat cooker and pots and pans

OMG it was everywhere wont be doing that again, maybe i should think about tiding up a bit earlier :cool:
what do you all do? do you start to tidy up before parents arrive?
it would be great if the children helped to put alot of the stuff away me tinks

foxy

angeldelight
07-05-2008, 10:36 AM
What do I do ?

I do the same get lots of things out in the garden

Different rules in my house though ...............


I dont care if we are in doors or in the garden we have a rule that the children tidy up before they go home
I help them - they dont help me !! I will not tidy up for them

If we play with things inside they must tidy up before they get something else out

Try it allowing more time than if you would do it yourself - they can be slow - but why should you do it - its not your mess is it ?

Angel xx

SimplyLucy
07-05-2008, 10:39 AM
I have one of those little play sheds for all the garden toys. The children HAVE to help me put all the toys away (inside and outside) before their parents arrive. It's all part of play as far as I'm concerned! :D

sarah707
07-05-2008, 11:29 AM
We're the same here - children are asked to tidy and I help them... :D

Jinx
07-05-2008, 11:31 AM
I've only got under 2's to look after and although I try to get them to help, it doesn't really work!
Instead I bribe, blackmail, threaten my own kids to give me a hand! Anything that works!!!!:rolleyes:
I tell them that if they help it'll take a fraction of the time and then I can start their tea. If they don't help I don't cook tea!!! Simple as that.:rolleyes:

Jinx x:thumbsup:

charleyfarley
07-05-2008, 12:05 PM
I did the same yesterday but as Mitchell and 20 month old had made the mess in the garden I couldn't ask them to help. Plus it all has to go back in the shed a special way.

Hubby did it for me instead :clapping:

They do tidy up inside though

Carol xx

Alibali
07-05-2008, 12:26 PM
Mine all help tidy up to the best of their ability, they love it, and toys are all away for parents collecting:laughing:

Last half hour is quiet time with books/ rhymes-so no mess!

Ali x

deeb66
07-05-2008, 01:36 PM
I also insist that the children tidy up too.

Yes I do help them but everything is put away and tidy ....... except a few bits & pieces they are playing with or books they are reading whilst waiting to be collected.

The aim of my game is that as soon as I have said goodbye and shut the door that's it....I am done for the day/night!

miffy
07-05-2008, 01:40 PM
Hmmmmm.....................I knew I was going wrong somewhere

miffy xx

twinkle3005
07-05-2008, 03:32 PM
I have tidy up time just before the parents come so when the little ones have gone I can relax. I make it into a game so the children think they're still playing when in actual fact they're putting everything away.

Banana
07-05-2008, 03:38 PM
I tidy up mostly - the kids dont listen to me :D They sit and laugh when I ask them to help. TBH its only Belle and J who are old enough to help properly but Belle is used to being waited on hand and foot (this is my problem I know)

I always tidy up before tea time, between 4.15 and 4.45 and so at 5 we can sit down without mess everywhere. I also dont want to have to be tidying well after I finish work so they toys get put away ready for my evening of rest!

x

ma7ie
07-05-2008, 04:22 PM
Can I just ask how you manage to get the children to tidy up. I've tried allsorts of encouragement but after picking up 2 bricks they usually get distracted and that's it.

Where am I going wrong?

Pipsqueak
07-05-2008, 04:29 PM
As far as i am concerned if they are old enough to get the toy out then they are old enough to (help) put it away - no matter where we are - home, CC, toddler, if parents are here or not!
(Just wish this rule seemed to apply to my own childrens bedroom:laughing: )

How to get them to tidy up - make it into a game, give them "responsibilities" - you are in charge of...... X does the balls, Y does the bricks, get them to show you where it goes, fastest clearer upper gets the VIP badge...., this is the rules, it either gets cleared up or you can't play with next toy/play with it tomorrow..... (failing all that a big whip, wooden spoon and a stern look on the face, very loud (sergent major) voice:D )

breezy
07-05-2008, 04:47 PM
As far as i am concerned if they are old enough to get the toy out then they are old enough to (help) put it away - no matter where we are - home, CC, toddler, if parents are here or not!
(Just wish this rule seemed to apply to my own childrens bedroom:laughing: )

How to get them to tidy up - make it into a game, give them "responsibilities" - you are in charge of...... X does the balls, Y does the bricks, get them to show you where it goes, fastest clearer upper gets the VIP badge...., this is the rules, it either gets cleared up or you can't play with next toy/play with it tomorrow..... (failing all that a big whip, wooden spoon and a stern look on the face, very loud (sergent major) voice:D )

same for me everyone helps at tidy up time, if you're old enough to play with it you're old enough to put it away!
I've even got one who gets coat and shoes on without being told after he's tidied up!:clapping:

Gherkin
07-05-2008, 11:10 PM
Tidying up is a major issue in this house. My ds is a nightmare for tidying and my dd is only a little better. Mindees - very hit and miss.

Couple of weeks ago ds and a 7yo mindee wrecked my ds room (we use for minding as on same floor as lounge). It was completly trashed and they refused to help tidy up.

When I got halfway thorough filling the 3rd black bin liner they realised I was serious about throwing everything into the rubbish bin and started helping. Now when the after schoolies are here they are not allowed in ds room as to be quite honest unless I am breathing over them they do not tidy up.

merry
08-05-2008, 05:38 PM
I struggle with tidying up at the end of the day too. My mindies don't all leave at the same time, a 5 & 8 year old leave at 5.15, two 1 year olds and a 5 year old at 5.30 and the last 8 year old at 6. I do a cooked dinner for them all and some are slow eaters and can only just finish eating as their Mum arrives. If I make them tidy before dinner they hardly have any time to play and the ones who are here til 5.30 onwards will just get stuff out again. Between 5.15 and 5.30 it's hectic with most of them going home, and I don't think it's fair to lumber the last one here with all the tidying cos they didn't make all the mess. If it's really bad I'll make a start on it, but then I've got the 8 year old asking me to play games, read books and stuff he can't do when the little ones are here and it doesn't seem fair to leave him to it while I clean up. Some nights when it's taken me over an hour to do the house, garden and kitchen, I resolve to come up with a better way of doing it, but I just don't know how I can.

:)

Wendy Woo
08-05-2008, 05:45 PM
i tidy up bout 5ish and put the tv on for half hour. i find with my mindees this is the best way to keep them happy while i talk to parents.

As for tidying up they just seem to do it when asked to, never seem to have a problem. even my own son has followed suit and tidies up wen asked (most of the time mind u depends on mood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Michelle M
08-05-2008, 08:16 PM
I end up tidying up after the mindees have gone home, I think I am going to start asking them to help tidy up, it takes me ages to clear away :)

wendywu
08-05-2008, 10:48 PM
My mindees go between 5.15 and 6. At 6 i am left with two sets of sisters 6 &2 and 6 & 3. Because they did not make all the mess and they clear the toys for me they get a reward a sweet or a biscuit. Not healthy i know but the sticker did not work. They now do it without being asked and sometimes tidy up too early in the day. Poor little C just 2 has the dressing up shoes wrenched off her feet to be put in the dressing up box. The two older ones will ask to go round with the dustpan and brush.

I am working on getting them to do the ironing next:laughing: