Cleaning up after themselves.

I am sure that you have heard other parents say this before but it really does work. If my children refuse to pick their things up then I threaten to throw it all away. The first time I did bag everything up that was not where it belonged. They watched me throw the bag in the trash can outside. They knew I meant buisness. Eventually I did bring the toys back slowly. But now every time I ask them to pick up and they ignore me I say fine I didn't like these things either. That makes them get up and start moving.

Let them invite friends over. Leave their mess as it is. Chance are their friends will make a commment and they will feel embarrased. Then they will start cleaning up.

My mom used to take our favorite things away from us until we did our chores constant for about a month or for a desired period of time. It really worked because i did everything she wanted me to do, and more. Try that, hope it works.

We are all in the same boat. Similar case here, I had ever try giving them gift, toys for motivation. I have a nasty idea that I had done on them. It works for my kids. What I do is that if they do not keep their toys, I will throw them away. Now, whenever I ask them to keep their stuff, they do it immediately. My kids is still young probably it work. As for teenager, I think will be otherwise. Previously what my mom do to me is stop me from going out.

I have done those too. Ifind myself in the same situation sometimes. I try to switch it up every so often to keep them motivated. Do a little of everything. Right now I have to make it as a game. Or even as a race. But that sometimes blows up in my face. The one they hate the most but it works, is I take away wahtever they are doing or make them stop, (like t.v or video games, or playing) and tell them as soon as they do what they gotta do they are free. And then I sit there staring at them. Like right in the middle of it all. They screw around for a bit but when it sinks it that I am serious and I am not giving in, they do it fast just toget rid of me. I laugh to myself later. But hey gotta do what you gotta do.

My three year old loves to clean, cause she sees me cleaning all the time. She even helped me organize our laundry room today and got upset when I told her it was time to stop. I knew this kid had a talent for cleanliness when she was about 18 months old and asked me for some wet tissue. I gave it to her and didn't think anything of it, but later found her cleaning a spot on the kitchen floor. Ladies and gentlemen, my daughter Monk! Yeesh! As far as your kids not cleaning, I think Dr Phil would just tell you to lay down the law. Like you could say, Pick it off the floor or lose it. Maybe just put up all toys for awhile and only allow one toy per child, and then they have to turn that toy in if they want another one. I had to do that awhile back with mine cause she would throw her stuffed toys all over the living room and i spent hours every day cleaning up after her. So, i bundled everything up and put it in the closet. After a bit she got the idea that if she was messy and made mommmy spend time cleaning she would lose out too. Kids need limits sometimes. Forget paying them, that's just costing you. just my opinion, know it sounds strict, but your kids aren't being fair to you, so you don't have to be fair to them.