Best $3 ever

Nick is awful about cleaning up the messes he makes (I think most 4 year olds are). But lately it seems to have gotten worse. His room is in a constant state of complete chaos with clothes, toys and who knows what else strewn everywhere. And don't even get me started about what goes on under his bed. That kid can hide more under a single bed than should even be possible.

So the last time Mike ran to the store I asked him to pick me up a cheap timer. Of course, he wanted to know why I would need such a thing when we have a timer on the oven and the microwave. I needed the portability. If I could make cleaning a game maybe Nick would participate. We've only tried once, but it worked like a charm. Even if I only get a week or two out of it before the novelty wears off it will still be the best $3 I've ever spent.


Tonight before dinner Nick asked to get the timer down so he could clean the porch (I never even told him what I planned to use it for, so I'm guessing Mike did when they bought it). I set if for 5 minutes and he was so excited because he "beat" the timer. Then after dinner he asked to set the timer in his bedroom. I gave him 10 minutes and he closed the door and got started. At the end of 10 minutes he came out and asked for more time, so I gave him another 10 before he finally called it quits. The room wasn't perfect, but it was a definite start. The best part was that he did it on his own without whining for help. He was so proud to show me all the things he picked up.

Before:


After:


Editor's note: Nick woke up at 6:30 Monday morning and immediately came out to ask me for the timer. He wanted to clean his room a little bit. WOW -- whose kid is this?