We have had two issues around our house over the last week or two.- The boys can't seem to keep their room cleaned. Within a day of it being cleaned they seem to be back to being a total wreck. I don't know how it happens!
- They have been walking around with a TON of money in change. They each got a roll of gold dollars for Christmas and, even though I tried to hide them away, each one got opened and added to their loot. (Josh Oliver was pretty much constantly carrying around $40+ dollars in a little orange pitcher--or the back of a dump truck or where ever!)
Finally out of desperation I came up with a plan to solve both problems.
After giving the boys one last chance to clean their room and I took everything that was left on the floor and set up a shop in my bedroom.
Ben and I had quite the inventory. There was a ton of books, several pairs of shoes and boots, a sleeping bag, a "nearly new" dirty coat, a dillons bag/mail bag full of "original artwork", a race track, a nice pile of dirty clothes--for an additional $.25 I was willing to wash and dry them, and lots of other random items.
We tried to price everything high enough that they wouldn't have quite enough money to buy everything back--I wanted them to be a little sad at losing some of their stuff.
When the boys saw the store they thought it was great!
Henry bought everything he could get his hands on--he was really into getting all the fun stuff that he could now claim as all his own. Lucas was sensible. He bought only what he really wanted. Ben tried to sell him back some of his clothes, but he passed on them--apparently they weren't necessities! Josh pretty much just handed over fist fulls of coins and bought whatever item was closest to him--like Luke's pants and Henry's underwear!
We did get back most of the money--they each have a reasonable amount left--however, they didn't really seem to notice that they were paying money for stuff that they already own. In fact, they keep asking when we are going to have another store.
I'm guessing that next time, when they don't have tons of money and aren't able to buy back all their favorite things, they will think twice about making me pick up their stuff. I will say, though, that everything they bought this time around was put back in it's proper place!
Now I just have to hide the gold dollars so they don't end up in Josh Oliver's stash again!
