Clutter Jail

I promised to further explain "Clutter Jail" in my last post, so here it goes.  Last week I reached my breaking point with all of the toys and miscellaneous kid stuff strewn about the house.  I had stepped over my last Matchbox Car and Grant had stepped on his last Lego.  We had talked briefly about another Pinterest post I had seen and wanted to try.  This one was about Clutter Jail.

Image Borrowed From iMom.com

iMom.com provides a great download of the above picture for you to use on your own Clutter Jail.  It also has an accompanying download for "Community Chest" cards of activities/chores your child can do to earn their belongs back or free them from Jail early.  I chose not to use these cards.

After several fair warnings about needing to pick up his belongings and clean up his messes being ignored, I finally got fed up and created the Clutter Jail.  I took a big plastic tote bin that I had and printed off the Clutter Jail sign from the afore mentioned website then taped the sign to the cover of the bin.  

Then after he ignored my final warning, I went around the house picking up every single thing of his that was left on the floor.  And I mean EVERYTHING!  I went room-to-room picking up toys, stuffed animals, clothes, blankets, and I don't even remember what else.  I picked stuff up from the living room, the dining room, the bathroom, and his bedroom and placed it all in the newly created Clutter Jail.

Boy, was Little Man unhappy with me!  He cried and cried, and whined and whined.  He even told me I wasn't be "respectful" of him because I took his toys away!  That's my little 5yo!  What a stinker.  Well, you know what, Duder, you were warned.  We had a nice little discussion then about who wasn't being respectful; Mom because I took away his toys, or him for not listening to directions.  

We decided that to get the point across everything would stay in Clutter Jail for one week.  Once the week is completed, Little Man can go into the jail and put everything away where it belongs.  He was allowed to get one thing that night from Clutter Jail, but only because his pajama bottoms ended up in the bin.  Well, they were on the floor in his room and I was on a roll!  

Now let me tell you, it only took the one time of putting his things in Clutter Jail.  He has been SOOO good about picking up after himself this last week!  I've only had to ask once and his reply is almost always something along the lines of: "Yep, better put it away or you'll put it in Jail."  Love it!  It's working like a charm and I'm so glad I decided to give it a try.