Do you help or at least offer???

[Early Kids]

I ALWAYS offer and ALWAYS make my kids at least attempt to pick up after themselves. I won't leave someone's house in such a mess if my kids helped make the mess.

I've never offered to do dishes though... lol

[misty]

If you are hosting it, maybe you could try taking the initiative? When it is coming to an end and people are getting ready to start going, get up and say " OK everyone, lets all help tidy the toys away." You can direct this at the children, but loud enough and clear enough that the adults pick up on it too. If they still don't help, just say quietly to them "Oh, do you mind picking up x, y, z before you go?" Most adults wouldn't have any problem with that.

[Cassius2]

our MG we get all the kids to pack the toys up now that they are old enough, before that though all of us would pick them up and tidy...i would feel weird leaving a trail of toys that my DD had created and not clean it up iykwim.

[~Kim~]

hmmm great example they're setting for their kids....go to someone else's house run riot and leave....

nup, I'm a help pack up even when they say no thanks girl.

[~StarBright~]

I think they should offer and try to make some kind of dent in the mess... but personally, i am a bit of a freak when it comes to sorting out DS's toys, so i would kind of actually rather do all the cleaning and sorting myself lol. Even if someone offered to help clean up i would either be a nazi and follow them telling exactly where each toy and bits peices go or i would smile and nod and as soon as they left i would re do it all anyway (which would be more work for me coz i would have to find all the bits to all the toys!! lol)

The offer is always nice though- and i would never refuse an offer for dishes (although i have a dishwasher now.. and yep- self confessed anal freak when it comes to packing and that too)

I think next time your at someone elses house, make a big thing about offering to help pack up and see how it goes- start up the clean up tradition and get everyone involved... on the other hand-if people run for the hills as soon as you mention helping.. it might be time to find new mums to hangout with!!

[toomanyshoes]

I always make the kids clean up what they have played with at someone else's house, the dr's, or anywhere!

It's utterly rude not to if you ask me, they should at least offer.

[Arimeh]

Hmm thats a hard one actually. Whenever I go to Sterla's place, sometimes I leave in a hurry cos I'm late, so I don't clean up, sometimes I do a half hearted attempt at cleaning up and she tells me to leave it, and then I'm distracted by the feat of getting 3 kids in the car.... but she never says anything other than - "don't worry about that"

STERLA - DO YOU WANT ME TO CLEAN UP?!?! LOL

But whenever people come to my house, I don't expect them to help clean up the toys cos the toys were already all over the place when they got there, and if its someone like Sterla - well she's only got 1 child, I have 3, so mine make triple the mess hers does anyway!! Plus, I have certain spots for all toys, so I kinda prefer doing it myself anyway. I remember someone coming around and cleaning it all up, and then I went through and put them all back in their correct spots anyway

Of course if its someone's place that I don't know that well, I would clean up, and I clean up at docs and stuff like that

[MrsB26]

I always help clean up, even if its only a small amount. Ds is at the age where he can put away his toys at home so why should it be any different anywhere else. Usually i dont say anything to the host, i just say to ds 'come on Byron, lets pack up a little before we say bye'.

I host my MG once a month and it irks me to no end when i'm left with a huge mess to deal with by myself as NO ONE in my group bothers to even offer. Last time they were all here i was 36 weeks pg and they still didnt offer, grrrrrr (sorry overdue pregnancy rant lol)

[Sterla]

STERLA - DO YOU WANT ME TO CLEAN UP?!?! LOL

Nah Mel, she's cool. I don't mind tidying up.