Comments on: To Clean or Not To Clean Up After Your Kids in Someone Elses’s Home

By: Han

Han — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:09:57 +0000

I think my Mum encouraged us to clear up ourselves and put stuff back where we found and things like that because it was good manners or something lol. We weren’t allowed a second toy out if the first one hadn’t been put away and stuff like that.

By: Bethany

Bethany — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:02:08 +0000

I know how you feel. I’m never really sure what to do either. This is how we do it at our house, you know, in case you ever travel several hundred miles for a playdate here. There is a large plastic tote in the living room and a large toybox in the bedroom. When they are done playing everything gets tossed into one of those and the lids get closed. That’s it.

By: Sara

Sara — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:35:43 +0000

If the other parents aren’t picking up as the kids go, then I only make my son help pick up before we leave (this is non-negotiable, even if the homeowner says it’s fine to leave the toys. The kid’s got to learn to pick up after himself especially if he’s at a friend’s house)

But, the weird thing is, when other kiddos come to my house I really don’t care if they pick up when they leave or not- as i’ll just pick up the mess the next time I clean house…

By: Amy Jo

Amy Jo — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:30:12 +0000

In general, I let them play to their hearts’ content, but when the playdate is nearing an end I encourage the kids to clean up a little. At our house we only have two big toyboxes, and there really is no wrong or right way to clean up. At other peoples’ houses I do the best I can to help put things away correctly. I started doing this when my good friend had a baby. They’d come over, take every single mother loving thing out and then just waltz out the door, leaving me and my kiddos to do the dirty work. It got really annoying. I figure as long as the kids make an effort, it’s ok for mom to help out.

By: MarthaB

MarthaB — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:09:32 +0000

I tend to think you always make an effort to clean up no matter what. I feel like the person opened their home and probably picked up before I got there. It is respectful of their time and effort. I hope for the same when others come over. It makes me hesitant to have them over if there is zero effort at all.

That being said, we usually have friends over that ask to get things out and I preface my answer with asking if they will be sure to put it away when they are done. This tends to lessen the resistance, but not always of course. We’re talking kids, here.

By: Jo

Jo — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:24:39 +0000

Mostly I am with you… Tell the kids to clean up after themselves when possible, and help some myself when appropriate. However- I have to say- if you volunteer to host a playdate with 4 year olds- you must expect mess and live to deal with it! Any host who doesn’t deal well with the mess, or at least try to relax and let it happen, isn’t a house I want to go play at again! I’ll have them over to my house where the mess is my problem!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:39:38 +0000

There’s an option? Now you’ve got me thinking. I’ve always made sure that everything my kid touched is put away. I’m lucky that my 3 and a half year old is a neat freak. She loves to put things away so I don’t have much of a problem, but even if she didn’t I can’t imagine not making sure everything was put up, no matter what the other Mom might say. I know that I’ve said “don’t worry about it” a few times…but in retrospect, I didn’t mean it, I was just trying to be polite. I think there’s something wrong with me……

By: Jenera

Jenera — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:37:37 +0000

I always have Aidan pick up after himself. Sometimes the other parent will say it is okay and not to worry. If he’s fighting it, then I’ll give in. But I always ask him to so that he knows he can’t just wreck someone’s house and not help clean. With his little cousins, when they come over they help clean up too. If for some reason Aidan doesn’t clean up at someone’s house, I do apologize. I find that just making that effort smooths things over with the other parents especially if the house is a disaster!

By: cagey

cagey — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:36:40 +0000

I try to get my kids to at least make an effort to pick up some of the stuff they played with. Sometimes, though, I am so busy rassling up two kids who do NOT want to leave and a graceful exit becomes more of a priority.

By: Tasha

Tasha — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:27:26 +0000

When we are at other peoples house, I try to remind my 4 year old to clean as well. When we are getting ready to leave I always ask her how old she is and when she answers 4 I tell her to pick up 4 toys..If theres a lot of toys on the floor then I tell her to pick up 4 more and so on until its pretty much cleaned up. She gets excited to count and doesn’t give much fuss cleaning that way