The Clean-Up Game

By Jenny Rackley

Wouldn't it be nice to see your kids and your spouse taking responsibility for their own messes, with no nagging or complaining?

Here is a game adapted from Get Your Act Together, by Pam Young and Peggy Jones (aka "The Slob Sisters.")

For each family member, you need:

• One color of garage sale stickers (tags)
• Index cards or a sheet of paper

• Place a color-coded tag (for example. yellow for your son, green for you, orange for your husband) on every item left out of place.
• Everyone has the rest of the day to pick up his or her "tagged" items.
• At the same time every day, use the index cards to tally up all the tags on any items any family member -- including yourself -- left out. You may want to jot a short note telling what the marks are for (e.g. green doll, toys in kitchen, cup on table), so that if your tally is challenged it can be justified. You can do this step after other family members go to bed or the first thing in the morning. Post the tally cards on the fridge.
• After one week, compare the tally sheets for each family member. For every tally mark, each person must put 25 cents in the kitty. The one with the least marks wins the kitty.

• Start with a small area if your house is particularly cluttered. You can select the living room, dining room and kitchen, with other rooms to be added at weekly intervals. That gives people a grace period to clean up their messes without being immediately penalized for them.


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