On kids and dogs and messy houses

[Adina P]

OMD.  I don't know how anyone with little kids and dogs that chew things up survive childhood!!!  Luckily Rosco doesn't chew things up and Boca is only interested in baby socks (98% of the time put away) and really tiny things and paper and things that seem like they could possibly be paper or could be ingredients for paper.  Like wood.  Like the gnocchi sized wooden nesting doll my 18 month old dropped from the table as he was playing. 

Believe me, I have consciously made an effort to keep Boca's presence and said nesting dolls separated by time and distance.  When nesting dolls are out.  Boca is confined.  But I can't keep up.  So when I realized the two things were present in the same room, I panicked, then thought it couldn't hurt to ask.  So I did. 

"Boca drop it!"

Sure enough...out plops the bottom half of the middle sized nesting doll. 

"Boca, drop it!" has become my knee jerk reaction any time I see my little black doodle enter or exit a room she wasn't in 5 seconds prior.  This is probably the only command she listens to anymore without assistance.

Trying to keep stuff off the floor is an utterly ridiculous and a shoved-in-your-face lesson in futility. 

For all the lovely plans I have of helping/teaching my kids the lesson called "Before we get out new toys, we put already-played-with toys away" it never happens.  Oh it might happen once in a while when I'm not already immersed in cooking, computering, changing a diaper, tending to one crying kid, feeding dogs, tidying up, chasing one kid, etc...but the rest of the time 10 piles of toys appear magically in every walking space of the house. 

What I need is a play room.  A play room with a vortex that sucks toys back in should a child try to exit with any in hand.  Of course that doesn't keep the two legged kids from turning all of the rest of my household belongings into toys and spreading those far and wide. 

I used to be very staunch in the whole "if you have dogs, just keep the house picked up.  have your kids put toys away, close doors, etc."  But seriously.  How?  I have things to do, websites to visit, blogs to write! ;-)

[Adina P]

Ooooh crayons.  A delicacy for Rosco and Boca.  I forgot about those!  Sidewalk chalk too.  I have to be vigilant and remind my 3 y.o. to put them away as soon as she's done using them since she's usually using them while Rosco and Boca are outside too.

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

I continually tell our six granddughters to put everything up and away.  No crayons, small balls, legos on the floor, couches or tables in this house or else Libby will have them in a heart beat!.  Gee, I thought I was done with all those toys, the glory of having grandchildren:)  Love it too:)  

[Pat and Traveler]

Oh, boy.  I remember the chaos of little kid years.  Love the vortex idea.  I can just see Boca dropping the doll.   lol

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Adina, one of the things I am ever so thankful for: Adult child and no little kids.

My neighbor comes with her little one, 2 year old Sophia. We have a decorative box that holds last years doodle Xmas cards, she is very methodical and takes them all out and lays them on the floor like a collage, afterward she picks them all up and puts them back in her box. It also holds 8 AA batteries that she also takes out and put back one by one, over and over again. We do have some of her toys here but she is not interested.

Maybe you should try these things for toys, ha ha. Daisy doesn't give a hoot about them, she just lays by Sophia and watches her with a happy tail.

Loved your blog!

[F, Calla & Luca]

No balls are allowed in the hose. Just toys not likely to roll under a bed or couch ; ) I can see the chaos with 2 kids and dogs though, not easy and listen to Donna, she gives good advice : )

[Donna K & Quincy]

As long as everybody is healthy and happy, don't sweat the small stuff.

[Carol and Banjo]

Adina,   After reading this I feel compelled to take a nap!      Maybe after I've rested I can offer something constructive.   : )

[Adina P]

But see?  Bringing you a rope toy and asking to have a toy thrown = play with you.  So most of the things you listed are interactive.  There's too much havoc if I were to let the dogs run around the house with balls.  They knock over kids without running.  Boca practically tries to squeeze in between my son and I while I put his shoes on.  No. Sense. Of. Space.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Luca loves his toys. He will bounce his Plant Dog toy in his crate before eating, bring me a rope toy to pull on with him, ask to have a toy thrown. Calla is not nearly as interested in toys. Luca also watches, and sadly sometimes reacts to TV but not calla. what goes on in her little head?

[Adina P]

I never understood dog toys.  To me they are either toys for destuffing or gnawing/chewing on or they are for playing with their humans.  They don't play pretend or use toys in any other ways...not my dogs, anyway.  Okay maybe Boca.  She'll find ways to make a ball roll or bounce for her...or use it to dig holes...haha!