"Dumping" - is this just built in?

My twins just turned 2 and I have to say that this is getting better, but it just drives me crazy. Something on a table? Swipe, dump it on the floor. Pillows on the couch? Push them off. Blanket folded? Nope, dump. Now, let me be up front. I'm not Martha Stewart. It takes me a lot of mental energy to keep a reasonably organized house. So that makes me insane that I take time to get things nice, only to have these tornadoes follow behind me.

Is it me? Did I not impart something to them? My cousin's (also boy) toddler is the same age and she can *gasp* have PICTURES and PLANTS on shelves and stands in her living room. But... she is also (as Flylady puts it) "born organized" - so perhaps he just gets it natively or something. I dunno.

Any ideas here folks? Sympathy?

I'm DREADING the Christmas tree. Absolutely dreading.

 

Sounds like my boys. I am dreading the Christmas tree as well.

 

My oldest - generally left things alone, never needed locks or gates.
My DD (twin) is not too bad, but my youger DS (twin) is a nightmare - still at 4. He just has to touch, rearrange, move, hide, dump everything!!!!! He cleans it up when I request but it drives me nuts!

 

My girls are just like this. They unfold everything, take apart everything, and like to take all of their pullups out and sprinkle them around. WHY? Who knows, but I hope it's just a stage.

 

When my duo was 2 I put up a tiny tree on a table. And all of the presents stayed in my closet until we gave them out. Last year I put our big tree up and went ahead with putting few gifts under it - all of them got opened. This year I want to put a train around my tree - I am sure it will be disrailed all the time - and as for the dumping A&A are 4 now and they will dump everything out they can. I have to keep my shampoo out of reach I have NO plants in this house and my dust pan is on over time and the most used thing we have My older boys were NEVER like this. They were always content to sit and play with toys or watch tv. These two OH if I turn my back they are dumping something out. Some days I don't know why I even bother cleaning!!

 

I hate to tell you that it started for us around that age and is still going strong. I have given up on picking up toys multiple times a day since that is mainly what they dump out, so the living room and their bedroom is covered with toys until bedtime. When it gets really messy to the point where someone could fall I demand (since they fight me on it) they help pick up their mess and if no help is given I bring out the garbage bag saying anything I pick up goes in the trash. My friend gave me this idea and right now it scares the crap out of them. They jump up and start cleaning up right away. If something goes in the garbage bag my friend said she takes it to the garage and about 2-weeks later filters it back into the toys.

They have gotten better with knocking things off the table and throwing their cups, but I make them pick up those messes immediately. I stress that big kids don't do that. Our real issue is if DD gets a hold of a pop up box of Kleenex because she will pull out every single one of them. It drives me crazy :headbang: .

I keep hoping this is a phase that passes soon, but yet with each phase that passes something new surfaces and it may be worse. Hang in there. Try to stand you ground explaining why we don't do that and make them help you pick up even if they only half way help. That is where we have issues because DH believes they should totally clean up and I know that just isn't going to happen, so some help is better than none and teaching them some responsibility for their actions. Good luck.