Messy children and partners

[Julie-Ann]

A friend was telling me the funniest story that she had read about a Mum who was sick of the mess her children left around the house. She would collect all their junk they left out and put it inside their pillowcase. It would stay there until the children put it away. Usually this wouldn't happen until the pillow became lumpy and smelly. I thought this was a rather creative approach:D.

Do you have any tips on how to get family members to clean up their mess? How do you handle it?

[Lanne]

Whilst I like the idea.. My family make way more mess than i could ever hope to add to a pillowcase (even 2)... Maybe their quilt?

[thisisme]

No kids yet. But I do have a very messy parther who leaves empty cans/bottles on the dining table/coffee table all the time. He leaves his man bag in the corner nearest to the entry door and leaves his cr@ap on the dining table. There is more, but you get the picture. I've tried telling him and I've tried yelling. I've also tried chucking all his stuff in the spare room. Please help!!!

Look forward to reading your advice on how to train partners :)

[Julie-Ann]

Oh dear you will have to whip this man in to behaving:D. You could try putting all his mess in his pillowcase. Those cans and bottles will be very lumpy:D.

There is the tactic of leaving all his mess where it is until it bothers him. But you may have to leave the state so it doesn't drive you crazy.

Personally I find nagging to be a very effective tool:D

[Elements]

I wish hubby would sometimes leave something laying around and luckily or unluckily mr2 is almost the same he puts his shoes away and packs up all his toys at before bed....
I like the idea though, I am thinking in my house though it would be my pillowcase getting filled:D, Don't get me wrong I am no slob, its just hard to live up to perfection;):D
My drink has been thrown away and my glass washed and put away before I have even started it some evenings;)

[thisisme]

Elements, you lucky girl! How did you train them???

[rachel]

I'm in the same situation as Elements (except no kiddo - yet).

Husband is insanely, notoriously tidy. When we were first dating though, he never saw dirt, just mess. One day when he was at work and I was on holidays I cleaned his apartment top to bottom - scrubbed the fridge, window sils, washed the walls etc. He was amazed when he walked in but couldn't work out what I'd changed! Unfortunately I've now made a rod for my own back and he notices everything!

[Sarah]

lolol... did you not read my facebook status about a week or so ago Julie-Ann... I am sick to death of my kids leaving crap all over the place.... and my eldest KNOWS that if she continues to do it, that eventually Ill just get sick of it, and all the stuff she leaves laying around, ends up in her bed! (chip and lolly packets included!!).... they soon get that they need to clean up after themselves, but they always get back into that same old habit of leaving stuff laying around the place :(

I am not their servant!....

[Sarah]

Whilst I like the idea.. My family make way more mess than i could ever hope to add to a pillowcase (even 2)... Maybe their quilt?

maybe I should do this... thanks for the tip Lanne! hahahaa lol.... would make it more annoying for my kids to get it out of their beds!

[Julie-Ann]

No I must have missed that day on Facebook Trubluozi. I think inside the doona cover would be a right pain for the kids:D. Of course there is always the what I pick up goes in the bin technique. Has anyway actually done that?

[Sarah]

I have tried that one as well... and sometimes things have been retrieved from the bin :mad: lol

[giggle_smile]

Dont get me started! :(

Clutter seems to keep gravitating towards the kitchen benchtops, toys dropped wherever they have finished being played with, chewing gum wrappers trailed all over the house (hubby has quit smoking), clothes left at the laundry door instead of being thrown inside the door and the list could seriously go on for a whole page.

Its been a bad day of me having to redo everything I have already done twice and looking around my house at the moment will have to be done again before I go to bed tonight so if anyone has any tips throw em my way please lol

[Julie-Ann]

My goodness when they are retrieving things from the bin I'm not sure what else you can do. Does this mean we are powerless?:(
Maybe we need to pull out the my house= my rules old line?:D