Probably repeating everyone but just quickly, large water bottles with names eliminates cups, two large plates on centre of table with cut up apples/fruit on one and other acceptable snacks on other. Plastic place mats are all that is required to eat at table, can be wiped down before tea time!   All rooms out of bounds except one designated room, which has box of acceptable play stuff, leave the rest put away.  Kids can pick up in one room and put away much quicker.  When first home, get all sat and doing homework for first hour.  Then snacks. Then play.  or Snacks, wipe, homework, then play! Children enjoy routine and structure! Younger ones can be read to for 15 minutes or so while older ones doing school work.  Sounds like fun and joy combined with chaos, good luck.

Thanks everyone--everything here is great.
I think the biggest thing is getting everyone responsible for their own snack as well as managing their own cup and plate.  That would be a big step in the right direction.  I need to plan better for this--right now I'm just one day ahead of them on snack.  It would be so much better if i wasn't scrambling every single day.

The kids are willing to clean up--I just need to stay on top of them in a serious way.  One day of letting them play to their hearts content and the mess is just unmanageable.  I appreciate all the tips and will keep you posted.

For snacks: Before the kids get home from school, I put out "help-yourself" snacks ... a tray of apple slices, a handful of cheese sticks, a bowl of popcorn etc.. the kids each have thier own plate  and cup (we bought them each a cup and plate at value village). these are left on the table -- crumbs and all -- until it's time to clear it for dinner set up (which they do).

For Messy Rooms: we bit the bullet and spent money on clear plastic rubbermaid type plastic boxes. There's one of "tiny dolls," "dress up stuff", "Plastic Animals" etc. They are all on shelves in the closet. When it's clean up it's easy for the kids to throw everything in the right box.

hmmmm maybe i should have read what everyone else wrote first lol i seem to have pretty much written exactly what everyone else has written lmao oh well have fun lol

Geez ur house sounds like mine lol How about getting a plastic cup and writing the child(rens) name on the cup and saying ok when ur finished ur drink rinse it out and leave it on the sink so that u can use it next time also with the toys, how bout cuttin some out and storing them somewhere else (eg your garage or basement) and only leave the toys in the bedroom that come in single peices eg books, large toys, trucks etc no puzzles or things that have a million peices because the more peices a toy has the more there is to pick up. also try designating a time half an hour before their parents pick them up and say ok cmon kids time to clean up now and try and make it into a game maybe where the kid to do the most gets a reward eg a sticker or something. good luck!

with the dishes just make sure they reuse them, i cup each for drinks i plate each for food and maybie even give them an incentative to wash there dishes up after themselves

with the trashing of the rooms make it clear that they need to clean up after themselves or you will put away everything and i mean everthing, telli, games you name it, pack it all up so they can't use anything not until they learn to put them away when there finished, i would to start with make sure its all tidy do a big clean up and get everything organized, then once the boys come home after school set aside the next couple of days to supervise them completely, watch and make sure they reuse there cups, plates, and that they put back things that they have finished with, this may sound like a big ask to start with but once they understand the rules ect you'll be able to sit back more with the confidence that they will tidy up after themselves, also you could find something the boys really enjoy that they don't really get to do (it could be anything swimming going and playing cricket, video games or whatever) and tell them that if they keep up the tidying up for a whole week they can do such n such at the end of the week even if you have to drive them somewere it will be worth it, so at the end of every week they have something to look forward to, there is no magic way to make kids act a certain way you need to teach them, and seemings your the parent (the boss) and there the children they need to have respect and follow rules

I feel for you!  that many kids all at once, OH MY GOD!  Here are a couple of tips, I hope they help.

• buy them a plastic (picnic/camping style) plate, cup and bowl each in a different colour.  Every time they use it, just rinse it clean under hot water and pop on sink, then re-use next time they want something.
• For the up stairs, make a certain time for clean up.  If you know there parents are picking them up at a certain time, tell them an hour before hand that they need to start packing things away.  Bribe them if you have to.... offer to read a story or put on favourite movie when they are done.
• Can you make them go outside?
• Can you set specific activities instead of free play?

Hope some of these are suitable.

I am sure there are many many ways to handle this, this is just what I would do! :)

1) Designate a cup and plate for each child, label it with his/her name. Let the children know that they are to use those dishes and those dishes only. Period. This cuts your dishes down to eight pieces a cup and plate for each.

2) Designate two clean-up times, at their ages smaller jobs are easier and less overwhelming, so designate two clean-up times per night. As they get older you can cut down to one at the end of the evening, just play it by ear. I would do one just before dinner and one before the bedtime routine or right before the neighbors go home, if you don't know what time they are to be picked up that's fine. When their parent(s) get there just say "Ok clean-up time before you go home everyone up there and get it cleaned" waiting for a few minutes should just be common courtesy, and the parents I am sure won't mind. I always encourage my daughter to help clean up before she leaves a friends' house and if I'm in a hurry I just pitch in to speed things up so we leave the place as we left it.

3) If eating non-stop is a problem consider making set snack and dinner times.

4) If making a mess in the making of food is a problem you could put together make-ahead snacks every weekend or a couple times a month. These would be nutritious easy to grab and eat options for the kids that would require no prep on their part. Some we have on hand here, pudding cups (you don't have to spend a fortune on them, buy a few single serving size dishes and make them yourself just prep instant pudding and pour into the dishes to set), jello cups (made in the same manner as the pudding cups), I also use those single size containers to house animal crackers, pretzels, air popped popcorn, cheese cubes, veggi sticks, dip, etc. Other options: string cheese, wheat crackers and a dip of some sort in a single serving container - tuna salad dip, chicken salad dip, etc.

5) Block out their time, designate time slots for certian actvities so they have some structure to their day. Have them grab a snack and sit down for homework right when they get home at the dining table, they can all sit together and you can be around to spend some quality time with them while you prep dinner. After that maybe it's dinner time encourage them to help set the table, stir ingredients, clean up afterwards, etc. They'll appreciate the quality time and learn responsibility through helping. Of course, don't eliminate play time altogether, it's important to have free time just give them a little guidance.

Hope this helps, good luck!