How Can I get My Kids to Make Their Beds the First Time?

Yesterday evening I went back to my room to pull back the blankets and crawl into bed and as usual my bed was covered in toys and the blankets were thrown in a delicately crafted ball to make caves for the mini dinosaurs and barbies. My kids prefer to play on my bed over any other spot in the house (okay, my son equally prefers to cover the dining room table with hundreds of dinos too) Undecided

It was late and I was tired after a long day of chronic pain and exhaustive work. I just wanted to get into bed as quick as possible. I came over to the two younger ones and informed them that they needed to come and pick up the toys and make mom's bed. They both echo okay as they head back to the room. 2 minutes later I come out of the bathroom and both kids are in the living room playing around and my bed was still covered in toys. I give a gentle nudge reminder of where they are supposed to be and again I get the echo, okay as they run down the hall to the bedroom. As is custom with moms at the end of the day I got lost in time trying to shut down the computers, lock the doors, rinse left over dishes from snacks, prep the coffee pot, lock up the dogs and so on. Needless to say I didn't get back to the kids and make sure they were following through.

I hear the kids playing in the living room again and usher them back to the room for bedtime prayers. When I walk into my room I see the bed is still a mess and actually start to clean it off. Then I caught myself and thought, wait a minute they were told to do this. I bring the kids back and stand in the room this time while they make the bed and crawl into theirs. When they are given a responsibility I expect them to follow through, preferably the first time, and will not pick up their slack. My youngest is 7 and well on her way to being a responsible kid. I don't think it would be fair to either of them if I handled this situation any other way.

What do you guys think? I know other kids play the "I didn't hear you" game or better yet the "I forgot." How do you approach your kids to ensure they follow through? Are there any ideas on getting them to follow through the first time without having to stand in the room or is that really the best way?