In my house, kid clutter is the number one offender when it comes to keeping the house clean. I hate picking up my kids’ things, but I also hate to wait for them to come home from school so they can do it themselves.
My solution was a pickup bucket. Basically, it is simply a clear plastic storage container that I throw all of my kids’ stuff into when I find it laying around. There’s a twist, though. If one of my girls wants to get her toy out of the box, she needs to pick a chore to do to “pay” to get the toy out of bin jail.
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How to Make Your Own Pickup Bucket
You can make your own bin with just some tape, paper, scissors, and an envelope.
- On a sheet of paper, write out the rules of the pickup bucket.
- Tape the rules to the side of the bucket.
- Cut another piece of paper into strips and write a chore on each slip.
- Cut the flap off an envelope and tape it to the bucket.
- Place your chore slips into the envelope.
- Place the bucket in a place that is easy for your kids to access, but somewhere where you don’t mind a big bin of stuff, like by the back door or in a hallway.
That’s all there is to it. Now you have an easy way to teach your kids that there are consequences to not keeping their things picked up. I’ve found it is a great training tool if you don’t like grounding or putting your child in a time out for being messy.
Try it out this New Year, and you’ll have one resolution you’ll love.
