Bad day!!

[jibberjitz]

I have a 5yr & 3yr old (plus my own 5&3yr olds) for 10 hours today and I'm exhausted!!! The house is a bomb site and Iam now clearing and binning all the stuff that has not withstood the onslaught!!! Is it possible to still have a nice house AND be a childminder? Feel like waving the white flag :-(

[sarah707]

We tidy away as we go along because the playroom is also the fire escape route so the floor needs to be safe.

I find children adapt really quickly to thinking sensibly about what they have finished with and what they want to come back to later.

I'd speak to them if I were you. You shouldn't be throwing toys away that is not respectful.

hugs xx

[mushpea]

mine tidy as we go too, i am quite strict on this and wont let them get somthing out till they have put the last thing away, if a child is too rough with a toy they get a warning then if still rough i take it away,,
I find that getting out in the day helps get rid of some of the destructive energy and borderm,, even if its just a walk round the estate with the dog any thing to get out for a bit, makes the day go quicker too.

[jumpinjen]

We also do a tidy every so often..... kids not all that keen but getting used to it (my own children are well versed in it!). If I need to blitz because a crafty activity has been 'well enjoyed' then i usher them outside to play whilst I rebuild the room! It is Ok to limit what they play with when for example it is coming up to collection time and they want the massive box of duplo out as well as the small world people....... it is OK to offer two choices of more easily tidied away items for them to use to reduce the mess left.
It is so easy for it to get out of hand as their play flows so i would suggest starting tomorrow by explaining that 'today we are going to tidy away from one game before another starts' and then enforce it.... you may need to give them each specific tasks if tehy are unused to tidying for themselves such as X can you pick up all the play food and put it in here, Y can you collect all the dressing up things and put them here and so on! Try to get out to the park for a couple of hours at least as well!

Hugs, Jen x

[Roseolivia]

My house is always messy, mainly down to Rose not tidying up after herself. Hopefully this will change once she starts nursery and once i come of maternity and start minding again things are going to change.