Can I do this???

It is that time of year again. My thoughts turn to spring cleaning and all that goes with it. A friend recently said she got rid of half the toys in her home. HALF!! She said no one missed anything and the kiddos have been keeping up at putting things away. That seemed like an impossible mission. Plus, the way my friend accomplished it seemed a little drastic. But after discovering that the basement was a disaster once again, I decided to give a method I came up with a try.

Granted I have not been doing half, but the progress I have made has been significant. This is the way I have been doing it....

Every evening I have been picking the room that needs help the most. Right before the kiddos' bedtime I say, "We do not have much time, but I would like to pick this room up a little at least and vacuum it. Can you find the things that are important to you and put them away? It would make my job easier" I make it sound more like "a little cleaning will due for now" rather than hinting that I am going to throw/give other things away. I do not make them go to bed but I find after a few minutes they lost interest and most of the important things have been put away. Then they go to bed.

That is when I start. I pick up an item I think is worth putting away and do so. Then I must choose an item that goes into the trash or donate bag. When the floor is clean, I am done as I do not do anything with toys that are put away. Then I quickly vacuum and put the trash in the outside trash can and the donate items in a black trash bag in my husband's car trunk. None of the kiddos have suspected a thing. But the front room and the main toy room have been a lot cleaner and people have actually been putting things away on their own!