Are you tripping over toys that have been strewn all over the floor? Do you frequently sit down on a chair, only to be stabbed in the derierre by a barbie arm? Do legos in the carpet make a midnight trip to the loo a painful experience? Are Candyland game pieces turning up in junk drawers and under couch cushions?
If your decor is punctuated by toys of all colors and shapes, randomly left out (and then ignored) by the small people in your life, take heart.
Today's Small Thing is to enlist your child's help by making a game out of picking up.
You will have to stifle the drill sergeant in you, and bring out Mrs. Fun But Firm Mom in order to make this work.
First, understand that children, particularly children of messy parents who prove that apples don't fall far from the tree, are easily discouraged by the gigantic messes they make. Saying "clean up this room right now" is akin to saying "solve the Mideast crisis by dinnertime."
It just ain't gonna happen.
That is, unless you give them bite-sized, manageable tasks that they can be successful at until the job is done. Now, you can use any game you like, but today I offer up this one as a suggestion:
Similar to "I Spy," my favorite cleanup game is to turn cleaning into a Mission Impossible-type activity. Make your child an Secret Agent and give specific things to pick up....and specific places to put them. If your child can read, you could give him a piece of paper with something on it like this:
I would probably make a production out of writing down that secret mission and make him wait in anticipation for what his job is going to be. And I'd probably tell him that there will be only four missions today, depending on his age and abilities, so he knows that this game has an "end." And come to think of it, a Super Secret Spy cape (or belt, etc) might just give your child special powers to carry out his missions.
When the first task is complete, have him bring his instruction sheet back to Mission Control. Check off the completed task and add the next one. Are you using a funny accent or silly voice? Good, I thought so.
You'll do this until all four missions are complete. Then, your Agent(s) might deserve some R&R or a special treat for all their hard work.
As Mission Control, your biggest task is to oversee each step along the way. Sometimes things don't get done properly because Mission Control gets distracted before the Agents complete their operations. Only give as many tasks as you are willing to follow up on.
Maybe you have another game that works well for getting kids to help? Share your ideas with us! And if you don't have kids at home, make up your own game to get YOUR tasks done. Something as simple as creating your own list with check boxes might be enough fun to help you get some of those tasks done.
Play games today....make the picking up process fun.
Song of the Day: Games People Play, Mel Torme & Various Artists
