A Featured kids sleepwear Article
How to Get Your Kids to Pick Up Their Toys

Every night found me nagging my kids for the same thing: "You guys, look at your room. Get your toys picked up right now!"

Every night found me nagging my kids for the same thing: "You guys, look at your room. Get your toys picked up right now!"

I didn't understand it. They would have their room picked up, but a few hours later, it would be messy again. Toys all over the floor, blankets on the floor. Toys in the hallway; toys downstairs.

I definitely was getting tired of looking at the mess, tired of stepping on Legos, but it was more than that. I was aggravated that they didn't appreciate what they had!

When I was growing up, we had only a few toys. I took good care of those toys - I still have my Tinker Toys in the original metal can with the included instruction book - and I'm 37!

My parents didn't have to nag me all the time - I don't think - to pick up my toys. I know that I appreciated them because they were so few and far between.

My kids have been less fortunate in that respect - tons of toys from Grandparents and relatives for Christmas.

Toys that move, make noises, and you name it.

They definitely don't appreciate the abundance of toys that they have. So, I figured that I'd teach them what it's like to appreciate them or they wouldn't get to have any!

One day I told them that every time I stepped on a toy, or had to pick up pieces of a set, or had to pick up something that was left out, it was going in the trash.

And that's what I did. But it didn't work.

You see, they ended up having ALL their toys in the trash. It was annoying because there wasn't anything left to play with when other kids came over.

And it still didn't solve the problem of not appreciating what they had.

They didn't even have time to miss the toys - they didn't have to. It was only a short while before the next birthday or holiday brought in a new batch of them.

So, with my thinking cap on, I came up with my next plan of attack - a sticker and reward chart system.

They were excited, thrilled, and motivated. When they got up in the morning, they'd do all the things on their chart, anxious to have the boxes filled up with stickers.

But, stickers and reward charts only work once a day! When the "my toys are picked up" box has a sticker, the rest of the day went down the tube.

And, it didn't work to just give stickers at bedtime. They had no motivation to pick up during the day, and it became a nightmare divvying out all the stickers when bedtime already dragged on longer than it should!

So, I gave up for awhile. The lecture method didn't work, the "tossing toys" method didn't work, and the reward chart didn't work the way I wanted it too.

My kids were messy and unappreciative, and I needed to do something about it - fast.

My friend Judi didn't have that problem. Her kids got out one toy at a time - even when company was over - and put up that toy before getting out the next. When it was time to leave their house, it was a snap to clean up with just one toy per child.

She had all these little boxes and containers for their toys with little pieces, so I thought that maybe that was the secret.

On my next trip to Walmart, I bought some containers to hold the toys; and a big box that held some community toys.

Unfortunately all that changed was that I now had empty containers in the kids room with toys on the floor.

So, one day, I finally asked Judi, "How do you get your kids to keep their toys picked up?"

"Well, you know," she said, "I used to go crazy with all the toys everywhere that never got put up - hurting my feet from stepping on them...until we started to use the 'Saturday box'."

"What's a Saturday box?" I asked.

"It's just a container that we have, and every time a toy is left out, it goes into the Saturday box. Then they have to wait until Saturday to get their toys back."

"Ohhhh..." I said. A new concept that hadn't occurred to me before!

"And, the great thing about it," Judi continued, "is that they can still see the toys all week. That way they know what they're missing - that solved our 'out-of-sight-out-of-mind' problem."

I just nodded with agreement and understanding - I was totally following her.

So, back to Walmart. :-)

I got each kid a container with three drawers to keep their small toys. I explained to each of them that they could only play with one toy or set at a time. I made it very clear that if anything was left out, it would go into the Saturday box.

Their eyes were wide with amazement.

They knew Mommy was serious.

So, the first day went without incident. Then, on the 2nd, there was the first infraction.

"Maegan," I told her, "you left out a Polly Pockets. It needs to go into the Saturday box."

Now, she is only three years old; but she understood. We put the toy in the Saturday box - a clear plastic container on the kitchen counter.

EVERY day she was asking me if it was "Saturday". Fortunately for her, we had started mid-week so she only had 2 days to wait.

The boys ended up with a few toys in there too.

It's amazing how a simple box called a "Saturday box" can solve a lot of problems and teach "appreciation" at the same time!

If you still have problems with toys being scattered everyone and nothing has worked for you, give the "Saturday Box" a try today!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura Bankston is author of homeschool curriculum: Homeschool Cooking in a Box and the Homeschool Cookbook. She currently home schools her three children, maintains home school support websites, and manages their family-owned service business. For information on her curriculum and free home school support services, please visit http://www.homeschoolcookbook.com

kids sleepwear Products we recommend
Robeez Infant/Toddler Butterfly Slip On

Robeez Infant/Toddler Butterfly Slip On
Complete her butterfly collection with these pastel-hued winged beauties in shades of purple, blue and green. Featuring stitched antennae, cut-out details and scalloped ankle bands, all on a purple background. They feature soft, flexible soles recommended by experts. Easy to slip-on, they stay-on with an elasticized ankle band. Skid-resistant textured suede soles, these slip-ons are washable by hand or machine and are made with durable, quality leather and lined uppers, and soft and comfortable leather that cushions and protects. Pair with onesies, shorts, or pants for a sporty look.

Customer Review: Love Robeez

Love these Robeez. They stay on my daughters feet and keep her socks on. Too cute.

Monster Cereal, Count Chocula Cereal, 10.4-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)

Monster Cereal, Count Chocula Cereal, 10.4-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)
Customer Review: The Greatest Sugary Cereal of All Time

I don't know why they don't have this year-round locally, but I always get excited for it around Halloween.

Electric Pocket Scooter 380 Watts

Electric Pocket Scooter 380 Watts
Best Quality: All our electric scooters are built to last. Only the highest quality scooter parts are used in the manufacturing of our scooters making the TAOTAO ATE-330 scooter one of the most reliable electric scooters on the market. We stand behind our fabulous electric scooters so you can buy many scooters with confidence.

Zero Emissions: Take your TAOTAO ATE-330 scooter out for a spin and rest assured it will not pollute the environment. The TAOTAO ATE-330 scooter has a powerful and quiet 500W rechargeable electric scooter motor. The TAOTAO ATE-330 scooter includes a 24V scooter battery and a scooter charger.

Tons of Scooter Power: You can speed up to 15 mph on your fast and affordable electric scooter for a driving distance of up to 15 miles on a 4-6 hr. charge. That's enough scooter power for almost any light duty traveling needs.

SIMON & SCHUSTER CURIOUS GEORGE - PRESCHOOL LEARNING GAME

SIMON & SCHUSTER CURIOUS GEORGE - PRESCHOOL LEARNING GAME
That ever-so-mischievous monkey is at it again! Join Curious George as he plays exciting arcade games! He's hunting down circles, targeting triangles and having the time of his life with patterns, shapes and letters! Come join the fun in a series of skill-building games especially designed for active learners. All the fun of family arcade games, now for younger kids too! We teach the way children learn. Each game requires the listening skills and the critical-thinking skills that build a foundation for reading. Children explore at their own pace and are gently challenged to build critical reasoning and reading skills in a magical environment. Help you teach your child to read. The Curious George Young Readers' Series is especially designed to make learning to read fun. Six self-paced learning activities feature multiple skill levels for hours of fun! Jingles Jukebox -- You're a poet and you don't know it! Pie Fight -- A hilarious pattern matching game served up with plenty of whipped cream! Star Patrol -- Learning about shapes, letters and colors is a blast! Super Fruit Catch -- Catch fruit in seconds flat or watch it go splat! The Puzzler -- Choose your challenge from 4 to 16 pieces! BONUS -- Print your own Curious George Storybook! For more info and screenshots click here: Windows System Requirements: Pentium 90 MHz or higher Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP 16 MB RAM 2X CD-Rom Drive Windows compatible sound card 256 colors or higher display graphics capabilities Mouse Macintosh System Requirements: 68040 or higher (including Power PC), iMac, G3 or higher System 7.5 or higher 16 MB RAM (12MB RAM recommended for PowerPC) 2X Speed CD-ROM drive Color display Mouse

Customer Review: Preschool Learning Games

We purchased this as a gift for our son (Age 4). He loves curious George and he is really enjoying this computer game. It's great to see him learn new skills while having fun and not having to be concerned with content.

The Outsiders - The Complete Novel (Two-Disc Special Edition)

The Outsiders - The Complete Novel (Two-Disc Special Edition)
In 1983, Francis Ford Coppola's film of S.E. Hinton's novel struck a powerful chord with audiences, capturing the intense feelings of being caught between childhood and adulthood, and not belonging anywhere. Decades later, Coppola has revisited the film and reintegrated 22 minutes of character-enriching footage, including a new beginnning and ending more true to the book. A rousing new rock-n-roll soundtrack featuring six songs from Elvis Presley and other music greats make this new version of The Outsiders one of movie history's great rediscoveries.

DVD Features:
Additional Scenes:10 Minutes of Additional Scenes
Audio Commentary:New Introduction and Commentary by Director Francis Ford Coppola New Introduction and Commentary by Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe and Diane Lane
Documentaries:The Casting of The Outsiders Staying Gold: A Look Back at the Outsiders S.E. Hinton on Location in Tulsa
Featurette:NBC Today Segment: The Outsiders Started by School Petition Readings: Seven cast members do readings of the book.
Other:Fred Roos and the Casting of The Outsiders, Including Never-Before-Seen Screen Tests and Auditions
Theatrical Trailer:1983 Theatrical Trailer

Customer Review: THE OUTSIDERS

"THE OUTSIDERS" IS AN AWESOME FILM! IT IS A VERY GOOD FILM FEATURING, PATRICK SWAYZE, TOM CRUISE, RALPH MACCHIO, MATT DILLION, DIANE LANE, ROB LOWE, EMILIO ESTEVEZ, AND C. THOMAS HOWELL.

THE TITLE SONG WILL PUT YOU TO TEARS! STEVIE WONDER IS SUCH AN INSPIRATION AND A TALENT!

IT WILL PUT YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT DURING THE RUMBLES! GO GREASERS!!

AWESOME ***** FILM!!! BUY IT TODAY AND IT WILL BE WELL LIKED BY ALL AGES!!

Chinese Jump Rope

Chinese Jump Rope
Customer Review: For all ages

The video caters for all ages and is very easy to understand with lots of tips and techniques.

Rugrats - Angelica Standing - Sticker / Decal (Blonde Little Girl)

Rugrats - Angelica Standing - Sticker / Decal (Blonde Little Girl)
We also carry a full line of CD, DVD, Tape & Record Supplies! As well as thousands of discontinued and out of print sound recordings (CDs, LPs, Cassettes). Quantity discounts available - please inquire. We sell wholesale and retail.

Rare Editions Spring/Summer Girls Easter Dress Mothers Day Dress Pink Daisy Sundress

Rare Editions Spring/Summer Girls Easter Dress Mothers Day Dress Pink Daisy Sundress
The pink sleeveless sheer dress features adorable multi colored daisy print sheer over a white underlining. The dress features an additional lining finishing into a crinoline skirt for added fullness. On the bodice of this a-line dress sits a pink satin sash that finishes into a bow on the front of the dress and ties into a bow in the back of the dress. The girls party dress features a two button back closure. Perfect girls Easter Dress, Mother Day Dress, Spring Picture Dress or Summer Party Dress.

Current kids sleepwear News
Business Wire - Hasbro Elevates Global Brands to New Heights with Focus on Entertainment, Fashion, Sports and Digital Games

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:00:00 GMT
June 10, 2008 -- PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- The Entertainment and Licensing division of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) will arrive at Licensing 2008 International with new,...

Pyjamas great gifts this holiday season - Canoe.ca

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:21:45 GMT

Pyjamas great gifts this holiday season
Canoe.ca, Canada - Nov 14, 2008
By Lisa A. Flam This photo provided by Carter’s shows Carter’s sleepwear for children. With families turning back the thermostat to save money this year, ...

Pajamas great for parents and kids this holiday - WTOP

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:35:47 GMT

Pajamas great for parents and kids this holiday
WTOP, DC - Nov 14, 2008
This undated photo provided by Carter's shows Carter's sleepwear for children. With families turning back the thermostat to save money this year, ...