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jojo2324
01-04-2004, 07:31 PM
How old was your kiddo when you started to encourage them to help clean up? Up until now, I've always just picked toys up when he's gone to bed, but I think he's probably past the point where he should know that clean up is part of playing. My bad for not starting earlier. But how do you do it? I've been trying over the past couple of days, but he sees it as play still. And gets very upset when I put stuff on shelves, in bins, etc. (And, boy oh boy, have we hit the tantrum throwing stage big time this week!!)

I sing that blasted Clean Up song. It was used in our Gymboree class, and he was always happy to help clean up the balls, etc. But that was more of a game (putting ball in basket) with lots of other kids doing the same. I tried to put the same spin on blocks in bin or bag, but it didn't go over with as much enthusiasm.

Any suggestions? TIA! :)

egoldber
01-04-2004, 10:06 PM
Honestly, I have just really started this with Sarah too. We also do the Clean Up song, LOL! Sarah enjoys the cleaning up part, but wants to just pull things back out again as soon as we put them away. But tonight, DH did manage to get her to clean up her puzzles and tea set before bath time, so that was progress. :) Frankly, I am just trying to encourage it right now, but I don't "expect it". And I just praise her like crazy for any little thing that she does.

HTH,

brubeck
01-04-2004, 10:22 PM
I actually have only been able to teach Amy to do MINOR clean-up recently, and she's a lot older than Gannon! As of the last couple of months she now knows that her dirty dishes should be put in the sink and that she needs to flush the potty and wipe up the counter if she splashes a lot of water. Getting her to clean up toys is still a big deal.

However if I want the toys cleaned up I will ask her to help me. I usually imply some kind of reward such as, "First we will clean up all the toys and then we will watch an Elmo DVD." I make it a pre-requisite for doing other things, even if it's just going out to the grocery store. If she wants to do it badly enough she'll help. Sometimes she will put all the toys in the basket if I ask her to, but usually not.

She is MUCH better at getting things, or 'helping' me with a small task. For example she will get me a fresh diaper if I need one when changing Andrew, and she will put his dirty clothes in the laundry hamper if I ask her to. She also LOVES to put things in the garbage can and will do so readily if asked.

However the other day she saw Andrew pulling the Little People sets apart and she told him, "No Andrew! We want to keep it clean and neat!". LOL! So I guess somethng is getting through!

jojo2324
01-04-2004, 11:45 PM
Well, we had some luck tonight after his tub. I held out the bucket that holds all of his toys and started to put items in...He followed suit. A bit slowly, but followed nonetheless! :) But that's like a definitive end to something...I don't know that it can be duplicated when it comes to the living room and bedtime.

I won't stress about it too much then. I suppose I'm also just tired of having to crawl around the floor, or swoop down to get that last bit, or DROPPING THINGS!! I am not so agile these days. :)

MelissaTC
01-05-2004, 11:02 AM
Matthew tries to help and I encourage it. He will put something in a basket, container, toy box, etc.. and then clap his hands. He knows it makes me happy and it makes him feel accomplished, I guess. It only makes him more determined to clean up. Not that he cleans it ALL up but at least he is starting to get into the habit. It all started in the bath. I would ask him to help me collect our water friends and it just grew from there. I think it also helps that he learns this at preschool. ;)

Melanie
01-06-2004, 07:22 PM
I enlist Ds' help when I remember. Sometimes he starts singing the song on his own, sometimes I sing it. I hate that song b/c I learned it in a class I found irritating, but someone Ds picked it up anyway...I think maybe they sang it in a nother class we took too. I've just got hang ups about it.

I need to get better about it, b/c Ds really does like to help clean up. He loves to help sweep, or clean things, he's on cloud 9 b/c he got to help wash the car, so I know if we were more consistent with his toys it would be good.

Most of the time I forget and the stuff just stays all over the place. =)

raynjen
01-07-2004, 09:53 PM
I'm not sure when we started, but I've always made cleaning up a prerequisite to getting anything else out. For example if we have out her "music toys" box she can't play with anything else until those toys are put away. It probably helps that I have her toys somewhat compartmentalized (legos, train set, little people, music stuff, dress-up stuff, baby dolls, stuffed animals). Not everything has its own box, but everything has its own place. I do remember having LOTS of angry tantrums about six months ago, but I stood firm ("NO LEGOS until your books are put away") and now its pretty automatic.

Of course, if I'm in a rush to get somewhere I don't make an issue of it (otherwise we both end up crying). Also, if I am busy/sick/distracted we sometimes end up with a BIG mess as she can now get everything out herself (she used to need me to help opening the closet or the lego bin). Even if we have a huge mess she is required to put stuff away, but I'm helping to make sure everything goes in the right spot.

As far as helping out with "chores" she is required to put her sippy cups in the sink when she is done with them, she puts her diapers into the diaper champ, she puts her laundry in the basket. Lest you think she is some kind of wunderkind - I have to tell her to do all these things, sometimes repeatedly. I also try to praise her no matter how reluctantly she helped.

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to Noelle (10/25/01)