Despite my best efforts to get my children picking up after themselves, there are some days that just don't go my way. Or, I occasionally get a bit complacent in my ongoing clean-up crusade and decide it is time to put my foot down.

That's when I threaten the "black plastic bag."

The warning comes first: "You have ten minutes to clean every toy off the floor. Anything that remains will be put into the black plastic bag and thrown away." Then, the countdown begins.


My kids typically begin scurrying around faster, grabbing every toy that's in plain sight. Sometimes they finish the job. Sometimes they don't - and I have to follow through with the "throw the toys" away threat.

The last time this happened, things went relatively smoothly until I actually began putting toys in the bag. Drama, complete with tears, anger and recriminations, ensued. This was for the toys stuck underneath the chair, the toys partially chewed on by the dog, or the toys stashed in a spot they don't belong. My helpful 3-year-old daughter also volunteered to put some toys in the bag. Too bad those toys belonged to her older brother.

I opted to let the kids earn their toys back if they cleaned something else up or picked another toy to throw away in its place. They got those toys back in no time, and we got some extra chores done. Surprisingly, my oldest son decided he didn't need some of the toys so some of the house clutter actually made its way into the garbage can.

Motivating the kids to clean up isn't easy, and sometimes that bit of an extra push (via a black plastic bag) can put things back on track.