I don't know about you, but the biggest motivation I have to clean my house is NOT self satisfaction of a job well done, the adoration of my husband, or even all the extra space that happens when everything is in it's place. Honestly my biggest motivation is know that someone else will be coming over and seeing the condition of my house. So in that case, I should invite someone over every day and my house would stay clean.
As for my kid's motivations... Annie and Alex just do not listen! Am I not hard enough on them? I'm not sure. On occasion when I've asked them pick up and they refuse, I've pulled out the trash can and started picking up for them, which quickly tells them I'm serious and they finish picking up. Today I told them to pick up the playdough twice in preparation for quiet time. Then the third time I told them they had one minute to get it picked up or I would do it with a trash bag... they didn't believe me, but the wails and shouts started as their huge collection of playdough made it's way into the garbage. As I was tucking them into quiet time, Alex was begging me not to give all his playdough to the garbage man. I told him that if he and Annie went straight to sleep without any noise or playing (something they haven't done in weeks) that I would think about it. Well, they went right to sleep. And I won't through their playdough away... but they are going to be working hard to get it back again. Maybe next time they won't need the trash bag to motivate them to clean up.
4 comments:
Trash can dicipline . . . what a great idea! I am going to have to try that one:)
Ha! I've done the same thing...it REALLY works. Liam gets soo distraught when his cars get put into the trash.
I use what we call "the Gunny Sack." When it is clean-up time, I set a timer for a reasonable amount of time (depending on the mess, and how long it SHOULD take them to stay on point as best little kids can--5 minutes or so), then with words of encouraging we get to work. I warn when there are a few minutes left. What ever is left out when we are done is "eaten" by Gunny. Gunny is just a white trash bag with a face drawn on it. Someday, I will make a better one from a laundry sack. Any who, Saturday morning, Gunny spits out all the spoils, they put them away and we try again. That way privileges are lost, but I don't have to spend money replacing toys. Just what we do.
I have to laugh when I hear about the kids pushing your limits...don't we all do the same thing as adults, only bigger! Sometimes I wish my consequences were so immediate...maybe I wouldn't bury my face in chocolate if I could feel the fat erupt around my middle at the same time!
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