Reorganization To Subvert Mayhem

I love my sons. I do. However, there are times that I could strangle them. The other night, while I was trying to deal with a situation involving a full box of Cheerios being dumped out all over the living room floor, the boys went to play in their bedroom. They destroyed it. Braeden seems to have this need for mayhem and destruction. I'm not sure what his deal is, we are working on that. And Malachai will do whatever his brother does. So, they took every toy they own and dumped them in the middle of the floor. They pulled every book off the shelves and tossed them. Every piece of clothing out of one of the closets. Every DVD off the shelf. Fun times were had by both boys.

I had a near heart attack when I saw it.

One thing about their bedrooms, they are arranged weird. The room is really two rooms. They are two rooms the same size as regular bedrooms with a connecting little hall and a separating wall that is actually a closet, built in desk and shelves on each side. If that makes sense. And there is a connecting bathroom as well. It's a great setup for kids. Normally. We have had the boys sleeping in one room and the other room has been a play room.

I am in the middle of rearranging this. I want the boys sleeping in separate rooms. I am really hoping that will help them to settle better at night. I am also in the middle of trying to buy and get installed closet doors that I can lock. That way I can keep them from pulling their clothes down. AND I can lock up their toy boxes at night to keep them out of them.

But, part of this process involves a need for a new bed. Braeden has been in a toddler bed (racecar) and will not let it go. He still fits in it fine so no problem there. But, we ended up having to put Malachai into the bigger bed that was meant for Braeden. And he needs a toddler bed. The twin is too big for him and it has other issues. I also need to get rid of a lot of their toys. They have too many. I think it is an issue for Braeden and is becoming overwhelming for him.

So, I posted on freecycle and am picking up a toddler bed and mattress this weekend from someone. I will be spending some time between now and then trying to box up all of their toys and books in preparation of going through them and getting rid of at least half of everything. Either throw away broken and incomplete toys or sell toys they have outgrown or donate things. I need to be able to have every toy they own in a toy box to be locked up at night, on a high shelf that they cannot reach or put away where they cannot get at it. That way, when it is bed time, they will have nothing better to do than go to sleep.

Maybe then I can get them settled better.

With Braeden's sleep issues, the only way he ever falls asleep is watching television. So, they have a TV in their room. However, Malachai goes to sleep better in the dark with no noise. This will hopefully solve that issue as well with them in separate bedrooms.

I also found some great cabinet locks on a child safety site recently that I am going to order. I am still looking for a decent refrigerator lock that they will not be able to open. Since I cannot trust Braeden to stay out of the fridge in the middle of the night, I really need to be able to keep it locked. Any ideas? We have a simple slide lock on it now, but he can open it....

Wish me luck as I tackle the mayhem that is their bedroom over the next few days!