Cleanin up toys

When did you start working with your kids on this?

Right now, we ask them to put their dirty clothes in the hamper before or after bath, clean up their bath toys and clean up some of their toys. We don't expect them to clean up their whole room, so we usually focus them on one thing (blocks or Mr. potato Head).

B is definitely better about it - but some nights I just don't want the hassle, but I also don't want to send the message they don't have to clean up.

Just curious what others do...

 

I started as soon as they could respond to simple instructions. Now, I wish I had been more consistent with it! Maybe it would be ingrained in them instead of me having to still tell them every time.

 

We pretty much started out like you--having them put their clothes in the laundry room, picking up bath toys, etc. As they get older we ask them to do more. Now they straighten up their beds when they get up, put snack dishes on the kitchen counter, put wrappers and things in the trash (usually without being told). Of course it is not perfect but at least they are learning to clean up after themselves! We start out by making a game of it and helping them until they master it on their own. Then I always try to catch them doing something good (like putting their snack bowl in the kitchen) and thank them for cleaning up. I think that helps reinforce the concept and makes them feel proud of doing their part. We recently started working on a new rule of putting what you are finished playing with away before you get out something new. It is slow going but they are getting the idea with some gentle reminders. Hope that helps!

 

We started having them help put away toys before they turned 2. Its become part of our bedtime routine. After bath, they can play a bit and then clean up, and then we read stories. I sing the clean up song (they sing along now!), and I give very clear instructions on what needs to put away. Its actually gotten easier and now they take on tasks themselves sometimes. I don't have them clean up throughout the day though and sometimes it drives me nuts and I straighten up for them.

 

We are just beginning because they have never responded well and we got frustrated with the hassle of teaching them when they were younger. They do well with one task - blocks or books, for instance... but a whole room full of clutter is just overload for them!

 

As soon as my girls could walk and follow direction, they were helping to clean up. Each night after dinner I would sing the clean up song and then talk as I was putting things away "airplane goes in the toybox...books go on the bookcase..." and before I knew it they were helping. They might only pick up a few things out of dozens that are on the floor, but something is better than nothing, and they are helping more and more as time goes on. We're at the point that I can ask them to clean up before we leave and they will put everything away. Lauren is excellent putting things just where they belong and Emma, well, she helps.

 

We have been very lax on that, and are just now (at almost age 4) trying to get better. They have been good about putting their dirty clothes and PJs in the hamper for at least a year, but with the toys, I just gave up. Now, we have clean-up time every night before bed. We still help them, but require that they do a certain amount of cleaning up to earn their bedtime songs.

I think starting this at age 3.5 has been hard because it is a VERY stubborn age. I wish we'd done it earlier so they could get into the habit.

 

My girls have been cleaning up their own toys since last summer, however, the job was not always that great. At least not until hubby got out the vacuum and turned it on and said he was going to vacuum up every toy left on the floor. Now they are great about cleaning up their toys whenever we tell them we are going to vacuum It's not nice, but it works for us. They do know where everything goes and they put things away most of the time where they should, but it has taken a long time to get to that point.

 

I'd say around 18 months. They weren't great at it at first, but they are pretty good at it now. It helps that they are striving for their "put toys away" magnet on their responsibility chart each day. And they also know that I'll put toys up for a day if they do not clean up their mess.