Toddler helping clean up

[booksie]

How much do you make your toddlers clean up after themselves?

As soon as they're done playing with a toy do you have them put it away?
Do you have clean-up time before dinner or bed?
Do you just have them pick up every few days or when company is coming?
Do you always make your toddler put his/her toys away or do you always do it for them?

My daughter will clean up her toys when I ask her to do it, but I feel bad making her put each and every thing back every time... like when we're just leaving a room for a second, I don't make her clean something up, but then it seems we never get back to what we were playing with and the house ends up a disaster!!

[JAYLIN]

If you ask my 2 1/2 DS to clean up his toys he looks at you like you are speaking a foreign language, or he completely ignores me totally. So I'm not a good person to answer your post, I usually clean up every couple of days or when it gets to the point where I can't stand the mess anymore.

I have noticed that at music class the teacher will sing "books away, books away" or whatever it is that she wants the kids to put away and they always listen to her. So I'm going to have to start singing at my house and see if that works.

[lauren f s]

My DD is almost 20 months old and she's pretty good about cleaning up her toys. If we're coloring, for example, and she wants to do a puzzle or play with PlayDoh, I'll tell her we need to put up the colors first. She'll help me put her crayons in a bag, then we'll get out the next toy. She also has to put up her toys before eating (snacks or a meal), before naps, and before bed. I always help her and she likes to help me out around the house, so picking up her toys together is pretty easy.

Sometimes if we're in a rush to go somewhere, I'll usually just start picking things up myself. Most of the time Ava will come over and help me put things away without me even asking.

[mom_to_zoe]

When DD is done playing with something that has a lot of pieces, blocks for example, I always make her clean it up (with my help) before moving on to the next activity. We sing the Gymboree clean-up song ("Clean up, clean up/Everybody, everywhere/Clean up, clean up/Everybody do your share.") and it is usually not a problem. Otherwise, I usually just clean up the toys and books at the end of the day.

[mom2amelia]

ditto what mom_to_zoe said. Or we sing the Kindermusik "toys away, toys away, it's time to put your toys away."

[mamax2]

We sing too! "Toys away, toys away, it's time to put our toys/books, etc. away". I started doing this when DD was about 18 months old and it took about 5 months to really catch on. She just turned 2 this week and is pretty good about putting things away - sometimes on her own, but mostly just when asked. Toddlerhood is a perfect time to start teaching your child to put things away because they are in a phase of naturally craving order and knowing that everything has it's place.

In response to the OP's question... we put away toys about once or twice a day. I like things cleaned up before bed and if we have enough time before we go somewhere, we'll put toys away then too (esp. if it's *really* messy).

DD also likes to help set the table, unload the dishwasher, put wet clothes in the dryer and she's dying to scrub a toilet :rolleyes: - that brush is just irresistable I guess - lol!

eta: I always help her put things away - 1) I think she's too young to be able to follow an abstract command like "Put your toys away", although if told a specific toy and a specific place to put it, she does great and 2) I want to foster a spirit of cooperation so she knows that we help each other do things around the house.

[Renrel]

We also use a song. They do this at daycare and Gabe was trained by them to clean up when he hears the song. He does not always comply but there are also times he will decide on his own that it is clean up time and start singing the song and cleaning up. The only time we usually ask him to clean up his own toys is when he wants to take out a new toy and there is too big a mess on the floor for it to be safe or to have room to play with it. We tend to do a pick up while he naps or sleeps. He is not really home playing that much given daycare and the summer weather so it has not been much of an issue. We also don't keep a very neat home to begin with. Can't expect him to do more than we do. I pick up after him but not after myself. :o

We do require him to clean up the food that falls or is thrown from his high chair after meals.

[mom_to_zoe]

DD also likes to help set the table, unload the dishwasher, put wet clothes in the dryer

Zoe is the same way. She absolutely loves to "help." I get her to take the clean silverware out of the dishwasher and put it on the counter, put wet clothes in the dryer, wipe up spills with a paper towel and she is crazy about the Swiffer!

[akwifeandmomma]

My son is 25 months. We sing to put toys away, either the "Time to put our toys away" or "Clean up, clean up..." song. He always helps with this, as I believe once they're old enough to drag toys out, they're old enough to put them back! :) We usually clean up before bed and sometimes before naps.

Noah helps me with pretty much everything all day long, as he's really gotten into being actively involved with what I'm doing. He carries his dirty clothes to the laundry, his trash to garbage can, his dishes to the sink, etc. He also turns lights on and off for me, flushes the toilet, sweeps, vacuums, dusts (with child-size toy broom, vacuum-I got a child-size Hoover that actually picks up!-, and duster.) He helps me empty the dishwasher, by handing dishes to me to put away (I put away any knives or heavy/glass items first.) And I also pull a chair up to the sink and let him "help" do the dishes, I just empty out the side of the sink he's on and give him a few plastic cups/bowls to keep him occupied.

It's kind of a win-win, since he wants to be near me, and this way I can get things done while keeping him entertained and engaged.

He really likes to help me, and I reward him with tons of affirmation, such as "you're such a good helper", high fives, and "what a big boy", etc.

[booksie]

I want to have my DD start helping put her toys away before bed, but I am worried that she will eventually figure out that the messier the room is, the longer she stalls and the slower she picks up, the longer she can delay getting to bed.

[mamax2]

I want to have my DD start helping put her toys away before bed, but I am worried that she will eventually figure out that the messier the room is, the longer she stalls and the slower she picks up, the longer she can delay getting to bed.
I think your concern here is totally valid and something that was addressed in a book/article I was reading recently regarding this topic. What you want to do is have the clean-up time associated w/something fun after it and not so much "let's clean up so we can go to bed". For instance, maybe you can try Clean up before snack (if you do a bedtime snack) or before bath or before reading books, playing with a puzzle... really anything that your DC would enjoy and look forward to and something that has a time limit and is quiet/relaxing so it fits in well w/your bedtime routine. I usually find that cleaning up before DD takes a shower works best.

[booksie]

That makes so much sense!! I think I will try to "clean up before daddy gets home" and then maybe try "clean up before storytime" or some new part of our bedtime routine.

Thank you, Mamax2!

[melmatsu]

My DS Noah is 21 months old. We've been working with him for a while, and he's just now getting pretty good at cleaning up. Of course, he protests at times, but he's very good at picking up his small toys (cars, blocks, etc.) and putting them back where they belong. We make a game of it and sing the clean up song. I think the key is to be patient and consistant about it, but it's hard sometimes!! :)

[booksie]

How does everyone know the cleanup song? I've never heard of it. I know the words now but will probably sing it to a totally wrong melody. : )

[Sarah]

I think I started asking DD to help clean up as soon as she could walk, at about one year old. Then I would just ask her to help me put things in a basket. Now she is 3 and she is responsible for cleaning up her toys, helping to wash mirrors (we have a bunch or mirrored doors which are low to the ground), sorting and putting away the silverware from the DW, helping to put laundry in the dryer, getting me water from the fridge filter when I am nursing, setting the table, and helping clear it. She loves doing all these thing (besides cleaning up toys) and she's really helpful. I think doing it gives her a sense of self confidence.