And honestly? I get so incredibly frustrated.
You see, at night, I'll spend a good 30 minutes with them sorting through their toys and putting the right stuff back in the right boxes. Playmobil here, legos there, army men here, animals there, magnets here, and so on.
And every morning those sorted boxes get mixed up. Within minutes.
They don't really care about keeping the animals separated from the castle guys. All they see is this grand story incorporating all those toys. So they look for the perfect lego man, and the tiger at the bottom of the animal box and the piece of string that happens to be in the corner of the closet. For them, it's a story. Not a mess.
It gets me wondering.
Do I really need to have them painstakingly sort through each object every night? Does my love of organization and order apply to this room? Would it just be easier to purchase several bins and <gasp> let them just put the toys in them? We could still keep large categories {ah the organizing part of me just can't let it go} -- like legos, and animals, and then well, the rest could just get mixed. They can totally clean it -- but the sorting is overwhelming.
They're great boys. Make that awesome boys. I know that when they play in their room they're not pulling toys out to "frustrate mom and make a mess" -- no, they're using their imaginations, and playing with each other, and creating things, and letting their little brothers come in -- those little guys who enjoy emptying boxes -- to play with them. And every night clean-up becomes this long and tedious and frustrating process.
I think I need to let go. And simplify their room. And their clean-up. And praise them for their play and for their work in cleaning. And just not need it to be "perfect" in my way.
How about you? Toys sorted? Or semi-sorted? Or the giant "just throw it all in there" toybox?
Let this organizing loving momma know so that I can breathe. It's just one room, right?
Next thing you know I'll be putting unfolded clothing in their drawers...
