Kids and toys just about promise a big mess. And with Christmas coming, for many families that means still more mess. It also means now would be a very good time to get the mess under control if at all possible.

In my house there are two toy battles to deal with right now. One is the usual keeping the toys picked up battle. But the upcoming one is the “which toys to get rid of before Christmas” battle.

Don’t get me wrong. My kids pretty much enjoy that. My daughter is very sympathetic to people who have less, especially since the fires. But I know when we sit down to actually go through the toys, there will be something of a battle. It’s not easy for a child to give up a lot of toys.

However, this battle should help quite nicely with other toy issues. Fewer toys means they are easier to keep cleaned up. That will be a definite plus.

My son is the one we’re having to get tough with. He wants everyone else to clean up his messes. We’re in one of those phases where he tries to revert to being a baby, even wanting me to feed him. When you get in that kind of phase, getting the child to do anything can be pretty tough.

One of the things that works for my daughter is to set a timer. She’s one of those kids who needs something to compete against. The timer doesn’t work every time, but it helps.

Success with kids and toy cleanup really depends on being consistent. If you slip, the battles have to be fought all over again. Be consistent and everyone has a lot more fun.

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