Anyone got a messy pre schooler?

[laura109]

My lg is 4 next month. She is currently into the following things. Filling up bags with clothes, toys, food and paper! Sneakily using her drinks to wet paper etc. She likes all art stuff. Laying a huge pile of blankets out allover rooms.She's also going through a stage of changing her pjs or clothes if abit of water goes on them. She is also prone to taking peoples stuff out there bedrooms and messing up her brothers room. I am not really complaining about her behaviour as such, but she's managed to clutter up the whole house! This Sunday her dad's taking her and her brother out for the day so I can restore some order back into the house. Its really got on top of me. I do try! every morning we have breakfast, I wash up, put the washer on and Hoover downstairs and put the toys away, unless we are going out then I do it in the afternoon. 2-3 times a week I take a pile of clothes upstairs and put them away. I sometimes spend 2 hours upstairs on a weekend while my oh watches the kids. Everyone's bedrooms and the bathroom is tidy and clean. My lg will then mess her bedroom up, mess her brothers up, bring random stuff into our room and two days later it looks a state again. She's the same downstairs. Covers the table in food and will pour a drink into her food while my backs turned. Then she paints the table with it. Then she goes into our conservatory and messes up the shoe rack. Gets art stuff out. Gets toys out. Makes piles of blankets. Crumbles food on purpose. Hides half eaten Apple's. I do watch her as much as I can. But I also have to guard the one year old and do jobs. If I have him in the bath she will be up to know good. If I'm changing him etc she's up to know good. I put everything up high and do as much as I can when she's at nursery or her dad's here. I just feel like I'm forever trying to get it tidied up and at the moment I can't have anyone in. Never get to relax when shes not home.I'm ashamed half the time. All my hard work is undone so quickly She also complains she's hungry all day and it ends up in her throwing tantrums. How do I get some control of the mess. Anyone else in the same boat. I know they won't be little forever but I want to be able to enjoy the days not just feel overwhelmed by the mess! Sorry I always come on here for q moan x

 

[Koifish]

This sounds a lot like my twins, minus the hiding food. Although my 1 year old covers that bit. The boys destroy their room, bring the mess everywhere else and mess up their sisters room. I step on toys everywhere!! I finally got fed up and had to really start enforcing where toys are allowed. No toys in the kitchen, my room, none of those toys in their sisters room and if it’s in the living room it has to stay on the “play rug”. I have a little corner where I put a kids rug down and toys can go there if they are playing in the living room. It works most of the time but sometimes they don’t care. If they choose not to listen I take those toys away. The blankets and pillows everywhere is a losing battle for me ‍ I have no solution. If I want them to clean their room I have to sit in the room and watch them or they won’t do it. That’s an improvement from never doing it. I am at the point of not tolerating the tantrums and made up things to do to avoid picking up after themselves. I bought the plastic cube baskets from target and they each hold designated things. All cars go in one, blocks in one, transformers in one. It seems to make it easier for them ‍

If they don’t clean it’s mine. They have to earn it back. My friend used to put a cardboard box out and put the toys they wouldn’t pick up in the box and then said she will donate them/give them away. That worked really well for her kids.

My 1year old is always hungry! I try to have not so messy snacks ready to go for her or I’ll just sit her in the high chair feed her and then sweep up any mess real quick. I have found if I clean up immediately after we eat it’s a lot easier to maintain and I am not letting the mess build up all day then cleaning longer. It’s been an adjustment to try to keep on top of things but I do seem to have more free time if I do.

I will add the I don’t fold the blankets or place the pillows I just throw back onto the couch (or on their bed if it’s from their room). I figure it looks messy but it’s not the mess that I am worried about, i would rather pick my battle with the toys and food messes and not stress over that. There’s no point it’ll never stay like it should. If someone is coming over it’s easy to fold and place pillows quick, the other stuff not so much.

 

[laura109]

Thank you for your reply. Wow twins must keep you really busy. I don't know but sometimes I think she's doing it to get a reaction. She loves her brother but she had me all to herself for almost 3 years. It seems so tough at the moment as I simply can't keep up. When she is at nursery (14 hours a week) I have to wait for my son to go to sleep then I'll have a max of an hour to get as much done as possible. I can't always get stuff done at night time now as the kids don't settle early. So I'll come down in the morning to toys still out, hoovering to be done, washing to get out the washer, breakfast to be done, then I think we need to get ready!!! As you will know that's not a quick job. I'm going to clear some more toys out this weekend and hopefully they can go to charity. I like the idea of the tubs. I can't help but think she would just fill them with whatever she can find though. If I have to empty out another bag with a soggy drawing in, a pair of socks, and an apple in I might cry lol. Thanks again for your reply. Some great ideas x

 

[Koifish]

I am so sorry I completely get it, some days it is so very hard!!!! I always have something to be done which is why I pick what’s priority. Laundry is always there so I just keep it tidy but that doesn’t mean it’s all done lol. I literally just start cleaning my cooking messes as I am cooking otherwise it won’t happen.

Right now I am battling the boys to clean their room, today is a bad day. Took toys away. Really not fun right now. I have to sit and watch them or I’d end up with weird stuff in the basket so I get that! I’d still rather make them do it in hopes it’ll pay off one day I am also suspicious that they do things for attention because they know rules and certain things but they still do it. I run the vacuum in the kitchen while I have them go to the bathroom and then I’ll brush teeth, change clothes all the fun stuff. I think it’s a requirement to take an hour to go anywhere I do what I can when my 1 year old naps. As for night time, totally get that my 1 year old tantrums but I make her stick to a 7-8pm bed time. The boys could stay up all night on the other hand and are now afraid of the dark so that’s fun!

I am sure you’ll find a routine that will work out eventually! I hope it starts to get better for you! I think it’s just the age!

 

[_Meep_]

Sounds a lot like my 1 year old. If she isn't entertained every single second of the day she just destroys everything. My older child was always very good at sensibly entertaining herself when the need arose, so it's a bit of a new one for me. No advice, but it sucks.