How to get young kids to pick up their toys

Q: Any advice for getting children to clean up their toys? Our daughters, 6 and 4, drag all the stuffed animals and art supplies all over the house. Then they whine, cry and find something else to play with when it's time to clean up. When they do clean up, it's pretty haphazard, and items are not put back where they belong. We're out of carrots and we're out of sticks. I would like them to learn the pleasures of a tidy space where you can find what you need; my husband just wants a clean floor and tidy shelves.

A: I will admit to laughing out loud when I read, “We’re out of carrots and we’re out of sticks.” I think every parent has felt this way! And the truth is, I really don’t know a lot about what’s happening here. Is this an organizational issue? Is this a communication issue? Is this a control issue? Is this a poor-timing issue? Is it all of the above? Because I don’t know, though you’ve given me a hint with the carrot-stick reference, let’s start at the beginning.