When did you start making DC clean up after him/herself?

[kath68]

Yesterday DS (15 mos) dumped a whole bucket of blocks all over the living room right before bedtime. I told him that it was time for bed and asked that he help me clean it up. He pitched a fit, and then actually helped! I was shocked!

Apparently he has been putting away his toys at daycare for some time; it just never dawned on me to ask him to do it at home, too. Explains why my living room is such a disaster!

Just curious when others started enforcing these kinds of house rules.

[ErinMC]

Ds is almost 17 months, and though I never "ask" him to pick up his toys, he actually likes to clean up (yay! - didn't get that from me!) and we make it a game to put his blocks away, etc. He knows to put his books away (or at least in a pile) too.

So I guess I can't really answer your question, but I know he CAN do it.

Erin

Mom to Chase
Feb. 2004

[new_mommy25]

We have one of those shelves with plastic bins as well as another huge bucket for balls and stuff. DS loves to help and just throws stuff into the bins and buckets. It's not organized but I don't care as long as its off the floor.

[RwnMayfair]

Taran will put away *some* things, but we have yet to get him to help put away everything he pulls out. If you start doing it, he'll generally help put some away, but after he helps a bit, he's liable to wander off and pull out something else while you're picking up. (Which is why I don't make a major effort if he's awake.)

Interestingly enough though, he loves cleaning when it comes to wiping things up or the cordless sweeper. Give the boy a napkin/cloth/paper towel/whatever, and he'll happily wipe the nearest surfaces. You have to watch him if he has water though, since he likes to use the water to help him clean. Not a problem on hard surfaces, but the ottoman, or my husband's computer chair, or cloth-covered things actually don't need the water. ;)

The cordless sweeper he likes pushing around. I suspect he'd do it with the vacuum if he could, but it's too heavy for him. I also suspect he'd be thrilled with a broom. I'm hoping all of this means he'll be a good and/or helpful cleaner when he gets older. ;)

-Melissa

Taran, November 20, 2003

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif - Eighteen months!
http://lilypie.com/baby2/031120/0/5/0/-5/.png
http://lilypie.com/days/050821/4/0/0/-5/.png

[ellies mom]

My DD is like your son. Doesn't put much away but wipes everything down and loves her broom. She like to vacuum to but like you noticed she doesn't cover much of the floor but that one spot is real clean,

[tina-t]

Don't remember when exactly but I noticed that he does clean up at daycare. So I just started enforcing it at around 18 mos. to 20 mos.

[thomma]

We've been working on this for months. I even sing the clean up song. Ds and dd pick up a total of 4 things and I do the rest. I know they clean up at daycare. I've seen them clean up when the Early Intervention lady comes once a week. My dh hates to see the toys all over the floor in the living room and is constantly picking them up w/o having the kids help. (So it's his fault :) ) It's one of my goals this summer- so we'll keep working on it.

[brittone2]

DS just turned 17 months and I'm glad when he helps pick anything up at all really. He will usually put a few books or blocks away and I'm happy with that at this age.

LIke several of the PPs, he loves to swiffer/sweep with a broom and he helps me load laundry into the dryer and remove it :)

ETA: awesome that your son is helping so much w/ cleanup by the way!! :)

[amp]

I guess I've really only started in the last few months (DS is two now), and I don't make him put away every single thing, but when he drags out a bunch of blocks or 25 cars, we do put them away, and he's pretty good about it. When his selective hearing is engaged, I might have to walk him over there and keep repeating myself or "helping" him to do it, to get success. But he's starting to get into the routine of it when I ask.

[papal]

Leela is like Taran too.. not consistent with the cleaning up but loves dusting and wiping and the broom. I wish she would do a good job of it though and save me some time. heehee.

ETA: And she helps with unloading the dryer and dishwasher. And putting clothes in the laundry basket. But overall, I would say she leans towards destructive.

[brittone2]

Rashmi-I think you and Leela were the ones that gave me the idea of having Logan help with the wash :) He started it around 14 months or so I think and his favorite thing to load/unload always has been the microfiber towels from his cloth dipes ;) So...a delayed thanks for the idea BTW.

[papal]

LOL. It does make a mundane task very fun, doesn't it? Leela also likes to remove the lint-trap and put the lint in the trash.. she loves putting trash in the trash.. we have a fake trash can for her for fear she will put something non-trash in the real trash.

[HIU8]

I don't know if this will make a difference as he gets older, but DS is 7.5 months now and at night after his bath and before bed, I have him with me while putting away the toys. I talk about cleaning up (I do make it a game as well) and ask him to hand me things (he has actually started to understand and will hand me small items).

DS also likes to pull my glasses off my face. I'm legally blind and can't see a thing without them (I am currently unable to wear contact and am not a candidate for the laser surgery). I have started to tell DS that my glasses are off limits (again, I make it a game, distract him, etc...) and it has been three days since he has tried to pull my glasses off my face. Of course, now he is pulling my bangs (teehee).



Heather

DS Jacob "Coby" 11/27/04

[RwnMayfair]

Ooooo, I forgot about the dishwasher. Taran likes helping with that too, though we generally have to watch him like a hawk when he tries to help because he always goes for the biggest breakable thing he can find, or one of the sharp knives. ::gaze up:: Luckily, at least with the breakable things, he does try to hand it to you right away. Of course, if you aren't fast enough, then he tries to put it in the counter and you have to try and snatch it real quick...nothing broken yet, though!

-Melissa

Taran, November 20, 2003

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif - Eighteen months!
http://lilypie.com/baby2/031120/0/5/0/-5/.png
http://lilypie.com/days/050821/4/0/0/-5/.png