Question
I’m happy to report that the villain/victim drama has been resolved, with incidents only once a week. I hear whispers of “Please, let’s work this out so we don’t have to go sit for an hour.”
I’m ready for the next step in restoring peace in the home with the four boys ages 11, 9, 6 & 5. A great source of friction in our homeschool day comes from my harping on them to pick up after themselves: shoes, schoolwork, toys, trash, cups, bikes, outdoor furniture used to make pirate ships, to name a few. When I tell them to clean up “after themselves” they say someone else did it. It is nerve-wracking when the more dangerous/destructive things are left out like scissors, markers, or glassware where the toddlers can reach. Often these have been obtained without permission.
Admittedly, I don't have strong consequences in tidying-up because I am not a saint at picking up after myself as I go (my home projects get interrupted to care for the toddlers and to pick up the boys' “traps”).
