jennmommi
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Joined: September 2009
Posts: 91
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Post by jennmommi on Nov 3, 2009 23:38:16 GMT -5
OK, I have some serious issues I am running into. I am getting the cleaning done, and the tossing, but I need to know where/how to organize the things I am keeping. I live in a single wide mobile home, there are 5 of us, and 3 pets. We are crammed in here like sardines, no one has personal space for their belongings, the kids clothing is in my dresser and a dresser in my son's room. There is not room in the girl's room for a dresser. My son's closet is usable, but I keep the sheets and blankets for the kids in his closet. My daughters' closet is being used for storage, I know I need to clean it out, but that is a project for after I get things cleaned up and tossed in the main living areas.
I have really really cut down the amount of toys the kids have. Getting rid of broken, and outgrown toys has helped with that, however they still have 2 small toy boxes full, and some stuffed animals that do not have a home yet. I have a book shelf in the girls' room. I had one of those organizers with the plastic boxes in both rooms for the small toys and books, but they destroyed them.
I wish my kids did not break everything they touched, but the truth of the matter is that they do and no matter what I have tried it seems like they don't even care if they are tearing things up and losing their things. Their destruction only adds to the squalor and my frustration. I started refusing to replace broken things, and just started throwing things away. I am sick and tired of it all. If I could I'd leave them a bare room with a mattress in the floor. I swear they've even broken their beds, and somehow it always happens when DH is supposed to be watching them while I am out.
What I need is a way to organize the kids things so I know where things are and everything has a place instead of a big pile on the floor, but I am clueless as to what to use. Everything I have found either costs too much, is something I've tried before and didn't work, or is too fragile to withstand my wrecking ball kids.
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Post by heretoday on Nov 4, 2009 2:00:27 GMT -5
Wow sounds like my kids. My older girl is ADHD and was like a tornado of destruction. I got some of those metal shelves that are about 4 levels high and put them on top of their dressers. Then I could just throw jeans etc. on them. They had sort of a ridge on the front and sides so stuff would stay there. Kind of like baskets on different levels. When they were teenagers I had two jobs and had to hire someone to clean as they would not do anything, the place usually looked like someone broke in and wrecked it. The younger girl would help her clean (was my friend's daughter) but the older girl wouldn't. When they were older I just left their rooms, the older girl's was a mess but the younger girl started picking up after herself and her room actually became cleaner than the rest of the house . She even started complaining about the rest of the house and hardly ever brought friends home.
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ichabod
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Joined: April 2009
Posts: 48
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Post by ichabod on Nov 4, 2009 9:35:01 GMT -5
How old are your kids?
What I did with my son when he was little was give him a big rubbermaid tote for his larger items, a smaller one for books, and then shoebox sized ones for his cars, action figures, legos, etc. I'm kind of a control freak meanie and the rule was that if his toys didn't make it back to their appropriate box he lost his TV privileges. All you have to do is stick to your guns a few times and they learn that you mean business.
Try to be ruthless about tossing the stuff that they outgrow, which makes room for the new stuff.
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Post by christmasshopper on Nov 4, 2009 10:21:35 GMT -5
Have you tried hanging storage?
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Post by palepinkroses on Nov 4, 2009 13:13:03 GMT -5
Hi Jennmommi! My kids are the same way!! They are soooooo rough with their toys and belongings! I, too, get so frustrated and fed up that I end up chucking stuff in the trash. That's a rule I've adopted for myself and I refuse to feel bad about it!!! If something gets broken and it's not easily repairable, out it goes!! I really feel we have to be ruthless sometimes. When you're in a battle for your very sanity, you have to be!! So don't feel bad about letting go and purging stuff! When you're done, go back and purge some more!! Lather, rinse, repeat! Seriously, this is what helped/is helping me. My kids have so many stinkin' toys that they don't even realize that some toys have mysteriously disappeared!! Try to find some space up high somewhere, where the kids can't reach. The top of their closet would be great. If you're storing blankets and sheets up there, try to find a new home for them. Sheets and blankets can't be broken and scattered like toys can!!! I went to Wal-Mart and got a couple of those plastic drawer thingys, the ones with three or four drawers each about three feet high. I put these on the high shelves of my son's closet where he and his little sister can't reach them. I put all of his legos, action figures, blocks, lincoln logs, hot wheels, etc in these drawers. Each group of these toys got their own drawer. These tiny toys are the ones that really can take over a home! If you keep these up out of their reach, and not let them have unlimited access, it will help you SO MUCH!!! And when they want to play with, say, their blocks, you can pull out the block drawer and give it to them. It's all about trying to keep control!! The larger toys could be kept in a larger bin kept in the bottom of the closet. The big toys are easier to grab and put away. I really recommend keeping the toys in their closets. That would make it alot easier for you! Could you keep the sheets/blankets in your bathroom closet? I know bins/storage units can be expensive when you're on a tight budget. I absolutely love Big Lots if you have any where you live. They always have cool organizing stuff for very cheap!! Lots of neat brands you can't find at Wal-Mart! I hope this helps!! I could post some pics of my son's closet if you'd like to see what I'm talking about!! xo palepinkroses
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Post by Chris on Nov 4, 2009 16:31:11 GMT -5
You've gotten some good ideas here already! I love Rubbermaid stuff -- if your kids are extremely rough on things I recommend Rubbermaid laundry baskets for their toys. That's what I used with my son. We were like sardines in here too at one time because for years there were 5 of us in 850 square feet, with: Me, My husband, our son, motherinlaw, fatherinlaw, their dog, and our 2 cats. Now that's packed. Think walker, wheelchair, electric scooter, shower bench, bedside commode, toys, skateboards, litter boxes, etc. etc. 3 bedrooms (small) one bathroom. Yes I know how it is. I like sturdy wooden shelves or else forget it and go to baskets. Not the cheap ones the good Rubbermaid ones. You can pack them off to college with those baskets in 10+ years. One thing I read somewhere that helped me was when space is tight you have to think more vertically and use as much of the space as you can going up not just the floor space. That's a challenge with little ones in terms of climbing and hazard but it can be done. You have to apply a lot of creativity to storage problems -- my dad has a small 3 bedroom single wide trailer with one bathroom -- we were never all in that but Dad, his girlfriend, her 4 year old, and my grown brother did manage to live in there together with 2 full size dogs. Dad built some shelves lining the walls of the little girls room that were really cool, and boosted the space she had for books, and that tiny bedroom is very small. I will see if I can find the photos. It was a do it yourself thing but it is not really all that hard. Bless you -- you really have your hands full in a small space. Imagine when the day comes that you move into a larger home though and you've learned to be organized in the trailer -- it will feel like a castle and you'll really be able to appreciate the extra space.
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Post by Chris on Nov 4, 2009 16:40:46 GMT -5
shelves in the little tiny bedroom -- my dad & brother made them, you could do this with wooden brackets and shelving bought off the shelf at home depot. It was kinda messy when this pic was taken, we hadn't helped her organize yet :
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Post by Chris on Nov 4, 2009 16:49:44 GMT -5
Another thing we have done here -- and I don't have pictures at the moment but my husband bought brackets and shelving and above the windows he installed these "shelves" and we put my barbie doll collection (the ones in boxes) and now he has his moms elephant collection one one. My sisterinlaw has done this too and it's amazing how nice they look. Windows are a perfect place.
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Post by AnnieOkie on Nov 4, 2009 16:53:19 GMT -5
How about storing the stuffed animals in one of those wall net/sling type things or even in a net laundry bag hung on the wall? Stuffed animals are definitely space hoggers! (See photo below from Photobucket) Have you tried under-the-bed storage?
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jennmommi
New Member
Joined: September 2009
Posts: 91
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Post by jennmommi on Nov 4, 2009 19:31:41 GMT -5
Thanks guys, my kids are 7 and 5 . I have 3 kids the 5 yr olds are twins. Believe it or not, I have tried most of those things, they broke the rubbermaid tubs by turning them upside down and jumping on them, and they ripped the net and wooden shelves out of the walls. I am in a trailer so the walls are paper thin anyway, I tried to make sure the shelves were nailed to at least one stud, but they still pulled them off the wall, I don't know how but they did. They are climbers too so out of reach is a foreign concept. I have not tried the plastic type drawers, that might work if I can keep them from breaking them. I am working to try and make sure they have immediate consequences when they break things, and also when they break the rules. I hope they are learning, they seem to be better since I implemented the immediate consequence rule.
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Post by DJ on Nov 5, 2009 7:46:44 GMT -5
i guess i'm kind of brutal but if they kept destroying stuff i would probably take it away.... part of what's helped me in reducing the amount of stuff in my home is i don't look at just the cost of the item when i buy it... before it comes into my home it has to have a designated home where it will live. i factor into the purchase price the price of caring for it, buying storage, cleaning supplies, anything associated with the upkeep of it....
and yeah, just had a brief conference with mancreature and he said he'd be fine with it.. but if the kids kept destroying things, and the things required to care for them<storage, whatever> he would be fine with those items going away...
i'm not sure what's going on with your kids that they are destroying things so often... mancreature's eldest is autistic and i understand there are some things he... well, he lacks control over himself. and understanding of some things... but there still needs to be consequences... and wasting time and money and materials that will just be destroyed seems like an awful waste..
i'd probably stop driving myself crazy trying to think of child proof storage ideas on a budget and get rid of quite a bit of their stuff and have them work on earning back the right to have it....
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Post by howardsgirlfriend on Nov 5, 2009 10:37:19 GMT -5
Wow! I don't have kids, so I'll stay out of that part. I would suggest storing all the sheets/blankets under the mattresses.
When we were kids, toys left out were confiscated, then reissued one toy per week, on Saturday.
I find baskets, boxes etc easier than shelves, because I can relocate them easily. I buy the cheap one at the dollar store.
Are your kids this difficult at school, too?
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Post by Chris on Nov 5, 2009 11:57:21 GMT -5
I definately think you will see improvements in their behavior as you get things organized. Some kids have a more difficult time than others with a lot of "stuff" around. I have a certificate in early childhood education -- but I only raised one actual child in my own home. I did have classes of up to 12 - 5 year olds so I know the challenges. But one of our secret weapons as pre-school teachers was order and a place for everything. And we'd scale down even more whenever there was "el-destructo" behavior going on. You'll get there -- even with thin walls and limited space -- it's just presenting more challenges. Good luck!!!!
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Post by fluffernut - now Jannie on Nov 5, 2009 11:59:52 GMT -5
I have two daughters a year apart. When they were little, say 5 and under, I kept all their toys in a big net playpen in the middle of my living room. They could reach in to get their toys but inevitably, they left them out. At night, I'd make a quick swoop of the house and throw all the toys back in the playpen. At least then I could see the floors in the rest of our house. One day, when they were a little older, I was able to buy a wooden bookcase and put that in their bedroom . They shared a room at that point. I started piling "like with like" in that bookcase. Barbies together on one shelf, books on another, games on another. As they got older, they started arranging their shelves as they wished. ou can't control kids. But you CAN control their environment, what's around for them to get into. I used to say, in November, just befpore Christmas "Let's give some of the toys to the poor kids. Help me fill a box!" They agreed to help, I'd take the old toys over to Goodwill and that made room for the new toys Santa and two doting Grandmothers would deliver in December. Hope this helps, it DOES GET BETTER. YOU WILL SURVIVE!!!
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jennmommi
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Joined: September 2009
Posts: 91
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Post by jennmommi on Nov 5, 2009 12:30:27 GMT -5
The grandparents are my toy problem. I ask, and ask, and ask that they not get toys for birthday and Christmas and whenever but no one listens. That is part of why I don't care about throwing them away. It was not my $$$ that bought them in the first place. I think their problem is they have too much. So nothing is sacred or meaningful to them. They are perfectly behaved and do well in school, we spent too long letting them get away with too much and now it is out of hand. My degree is in developmental psychology and Human development-Family studies, I know kids need structure and my home is chaos not structured and I believe this is the core of the problem. I am hoping things will improve when the clutter is eliminated, but it is a slow ongoing process.
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