A Win-Win!

Remember how toys (mostly the cleaning up of toys) were a big issue at our house just a few weeks ago?  I am happy to say there's been significant progress!  Take this layout, for example:

I'm very happy to share that the girls are doing SO much better.  This particular day, they spent a very long time (almost an hour) setting up this complicated landscape for their small dolls to live in.  They kept the unused parts in the appropriate bins (rather than dumping them all over the floor), and I was busy in the kitchen after lunch when I heard Clara Anne say, "First let's clean this up then we can color!"  I watched surreptitiously from the background as they each helped to clean up until finally everything was neatly put away...not just in the right general area but actually back in the cupboards where the things are stored.  Wowza!  A victory for sure!

Last week the toys issue was almost a non-issue, they did so well with cleaning up every day.  I am so thankful!  Yesterday Clara Anne remarked to me, "Mommy, now we're in the habit of cleaning up!"  That is simply wonderful--especially because she is taking leadership in it.  The other girls follow her example so easily, so when Clara Anne is taking the initiative like that they follow suit.  What a relief!  Everyone is enjoying their toys more now--I'm not getting as irritated when they get out so many things to play with, because I know they'll do better with putting them all away, and they're having more fun because they have the freedom to play and then the satisfaction of doing what they know is right.  It's a win-win situation!