Getting them to help clean up...

How do you do it???

I tried to get them to help tonight. They helped putting some toys in the bins... then just took the bins and dumped them on the floor again. I now have a bigger mess than I did before I started cleaning up... That's why I usually do it when they are in bed...

 

I don't expect much and have them clean up what they are willing to clean up, right now they will be happy to put books away and put their crayons away. I figure we can work on toys and other things as they get older. I give them lots of praise for what they are willing to clean up. They also like to wipe things down for me.

 

yeah, keep the expectations low! I'm starting to get some help now... at gymboree they sing a "clean up clean up, everybody everywhere" song... someone said is a Barney song... I'm not familiar with Barney so I don't know... but I make up words and just sing it was I throw stuff in the bin. sometimes they help... other times not... but I figure its worth a shot. good luck.

 

That's the song they sing at our daycare too. I went on the iTunes Store to buy it so I could learn it and it turns out that you can hear the whole song in their 30 second sample, so I just listened to it and didn't buy it. We're just starting to help pick up toys. I usually just give them one task like "pick up all the blocks."

 

hmmm thanks for letting us know how to hear it! I don't belong to gymboree so I don't hear it often. whatever you sing will be fun.

 

It was around this age (18 months) that I started my two on cleaning up. I would tell them exactly what to do..."pick up the red truck and put it here" (pointing to the toy box),etc. They would only be interested in doing a few toys, books... but as they got older it got better. :good:

 

Their speech & developmental therapists started us on the clean up song. They now try to immitate it and will clean up at the same time. I even use it in the bathtub when it's time to put their toys away.

 

Thanks for this thread Fran. I've been thinking about this too.

 

Mine like to imitate me, especially Kiefer. If I clean the windows, so will he. So I will put things away with him. Cameron has to make it a game. He'll take things out, but put something else back in. At least the mess is no worse than what it was before. :lol: When they do it correctly, I just really praise them. They love the praise. I have noticed now, especially with Kiefer, he knows where certain things are kept and when he's done playing with it, he wants to put it back. If he can't reach the place, he'll point to it with the object he wishes to put back. He gets tons of praise for that. Whenever Cameron does it, he too gets praise. Hopefully, he'll understand soon that once he puts something away, he does not need to take it out again. I think he does it cause he loves the praising.

 

fran, I realized they do it better if not asked, if they see you something doing, and they look interested let them help. it is usually, at least in our home, things that don't involve toys.

my son (which gets up 1 1/2hrs before his sis) loves to help me emptying the clean dishwasher...of course I know ahead so I have the dangerous knives gone, he loves to take out their plates and bowls, puts them in the drawers (I designated low easy drawers for their untensils), he loves glass ware too and just likes it to hand it to me. he also takes out the silverware and just puts them up in the drawer, all messed up, but who cares !

also, I fold laundry with them...now everythime I walk around with 3 or 4 items in my hand, Kaden wants it and goes to the couch, that's where I separate and lay everything, and puts it there.

pretty much they love all grown up stuff. I tell them to clean up the books and toy boxes after playing, they do that now and then, but not so much. I think also because it's usually the end of the day or nap time, so they are tired and can't concentrate that much anymore.

oh yeah, they try and help cleaning up the hard wood floor after eating, I just give them wet rags, also my daughter, she loves the diaper wipe and would clean anything possible in the house with it!

of course the praise, always the praise.....

GL, and this is a fun part!

 

Well the problem isn't really getting them to help with clean up, because yes they do help putting things in... it's getting them to understand that it's bedtime soon and they're not to dump everything after it's been cleaned up (I don't mind the dumping during the day... they enjoy it and I don't want to fight with them over every little thing).

 

mmmh...I am not sure if their little minds/brains can understand that yet? our bedtime routine is doing books or just something to play but quite play downstairs...all their toys are right there too but they are focused on what we do with them so they leave them alone. and before we do that, we do all clean up together but I just leave certain small items out, but mostly hubby and I do the cleaning up in evening, they do it and learn it during the day. ours just get real mellow, they know bed is coming and are tired...then they go by themselves to the bottom of the stairs and wait for us to come and open gate to go up to bed

 

Just like bedtime, it's repetition of a routine. Choose a song to play, try to make it fun, and don't expect too much at first. Mine like to race. You'll figure out what works for you. If you do the same drill every day, pretty soon it will be just like brushing teeth or putting on pajamas. I wouldn't stress if it's not all done when they go to bed. Work at it together for the duration of the song and then move on to the rest of the bedtime routine. It's just practice at this point but you're laying a foundation that will make it easier later.

ETA: about the dumping... I would say something about "Oh no! Now we have to clean all of that up too" As they get more used to the routine, you can explain that because they made more of a mess, you now have less time for the part of the routine they like most (books for us) and it becomes a lesson in consequence.

 

I don't know. Mine just kind of do it. I try to get really excited about them putting stuff up and then give them high fives and fist bumps. They are pretty proud of themselves. I usually do it just before we go to bed or go upstairs so that they aren't going to be tearing through in 5 minutes.

 

i totally hear you. however, our ot really wants them to try cleaning up, and i know as a teacher that it's good for them to start early if there's any hope of them helping out later on!...... just maybe give them one little job and that's it? or try to foind a way to at least keep them away from what's already been cleaning up? ..... i don't have good ieas, just mostly sympathyznig w/you!

gl, jl

 

btw, here's the clean up song:

clean up, clean up, every body, everywhere.
clean up, clean up, every body do their share!