A Cleaning Game

So we have been having some clean-your-room-and-keep-it-clean problems at our house. The main problem is that well....little people who like to play don't want to clean up! I have tried just about everything to try to help the process. I have tried bribing, that didn't work. We have button jars where whenever Abby and Dylan help out or do what they are asked without whining they earn buttons and when thier jars are full they can go on a one on one date or something fun. So I have offered buttons, that didn't work. Usually this is the conversation with Abby:

Me:Abby I need you to come pick your room real fast.

A:(already starting to cry)I hate cleaning my room. It takes to long!

Me: There isnt that much to do, you can do it real fast and then you will be done!

A: I can't! The mess is too big and I am too little!

It goes on and on. It drives me crazy! All the time she spends crying about it she could be done!! So my mom gave me this idea she found in a magazine. You write out all the jobs they need to do to clean the room and then they pick them out of a jar and kindof turn it into a game. So I thought it was worth a try!

So I had some wooden shapes that I wrote her jobs on and she was really into it!

She thought it was a great game and after she had gone through all of them she came out and announced that her room was clean. So I went to look and apparently I need to be alittle more specific!!! There was stuff everywhere on the floor! I asked her why she hadn't picked up all her strawberry shortcake dolls and she said there wasn't one that said to pick it up. I guess the "pick up all the doll stuff" was a little to broad!!!