What do you do when you toddler mess the house with toys??

Swethasri · Jul 28, 2014

Who do the clean-up work?? Do you ask your loved one to clean? or its the MOM who always do the clean-up??what will you do if your pranks dont put the toys in the toys chest??

What I did to my little prankster who is 2.9 years, I take photos of all of his toys and put them in the file. Whenever he wants to play I ask him to show it in the piture what toy he wants and one toy at a time. Then he plays with it throw them here and there for the first time and then asked for another toy. I refused to give him till he clean the room. It works!!! But he complained me to his dad saying "Amma put all my toys and toy box in the store room with his long face" I asked him why I put them in the store room for that he replied "because I make mess all around the house"

So now he understand better that he has to clean up after he played with his toys then only he gets another toy. Now my house remain clean. Is it a good idea??

darmesh · Jul 28, 2014

Swethasri said: ↑

Who do the clean-up work?? Do you ask your loved one to clean? or its the MOM who always do the clean-up??what will you do if your pranks dont put the toys in the toys chest??

What I did to my little prankster who is 2.9 years, I take photos of all of his toys and put them in the file. Whenever he wants to play I ask him to show it in the piture what toy he wants and one toy at a time. Then he plays with it throw them here and there for the first time and then asked for another toy. I refused to give him till he clean the room. It works!!! But he complained me to his dad saying "Amma put all my toys and toy box in the store room with his long face" I asked him why I put them in the store room for that he replied "because I make mess all around the house"

So now he understand better that he has to clean up after he played with his toys then only he gets another toy. Now my house remain clean. Is it a good idea??
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The toddler of the house going around and creating a mess of toys here and there is not something to be cleaned. It is not untidiness.

It is cuteness. A sign of innocence of the toddler. When we (outsiders) visit a house, where there is a toddler, we become upset if it is neat and clean with things in its proper place. I would say, something is abnormal and missing in this house.

Rather, if the signs (at least some signs should be there) of the toddler going here and there, making a mess of household items and toys , then I will feel the toddler is active and normal.

The untidiness and mess created by a toddler is in itself a BEATUTY.

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever. Record this beauty....the beauty of how your toddler makes the house untidy, in short video clips, preserve , to be enjoyed after many years !

Swethasri · Jul 28, 2014

Darmesh, Thanks for the first feed back. Yes as you said it is very beautiful phase in children. I do take photos and also vedios. I love the way he decorated the potato head and requesting me to take a picture of him and potato head. This is definetly a positive side but he himself get hurt when he runs around the house with a small parts of his toys, slipping and falling down, poking his feet because of the small wood blocks etc...made me think this idea its not only to keep the house clean also I want him to teach keep his living place clutter free so that he learns that for his life. one more thing is because he is throwing things, he is losing many of his favorite toys parts and not enjoying with out them and I am tired of searching for them

guesshoo · Jul 28, 2014

Hello, it is indeed a brilliant way of dealing with it.

i started around about the time my toddler was 18 months old. Initially she'd pick up about 2 pieces and I'd do the rest. Slowly she started taking pride in cleaning up. Most of my friends do the same and I love it that the kids are very responsible. They even tidy up in each others' houses.

Now, at 3 while my dd is completely capable of being organised, she also has spells of "creativity" when she needs her fireengine, peppa pig set, Mickey Mouse, Lego people in their Lego cars and houses, castles and princesses, playdoh parks etc. to make an entire township. I have to put away most of the stuff at the end of it, but it is worth it. Plus it is the summer holidays... What else to do on rainy days than live vicariously in a sunny toy town!

darmesh · Jul 28, 2014

Swethasri said: ↑

Darmesh, Thanks for the first feed back. Yes as you said it is very beautiful phase in children. I do take photos and also vedios. I love the way he decorated the potato head and requesting me to take a picture of him and potato head. This is definetly a positive side but he himself get hurt when he runs around the house with a small parts of his toys, slipping and falling down, poking his feet because of the small wood blocks etc...made me think this idea its not only to keep the house clean also I want him to teach keep his living place clutter free so that he learns that for his life. (
Click to expand...

Your idea is not bad. It may work also. But ,remember one thing, 'keeping the house clean' is not something you expect a toddler to learn ! He is too young to learn things like keeping the house clean !

Anyhow, nothing wrong in training him !

Chitravivek · Jul 28, 2014

OP: Great Job! Yes nobody likes the house to be mess. Regarding who cleans it up in my house it purely depends. I don't clean it everytime after she completes playing. I rather wait for the EOD and when its time to go to bed I ask her to clean it up. She is 3.5yrs now but we started it when she was 18 months old. Initially there was lot of fuss from her on cleaning but we have the following conversation everytime she hates cleaning:

Me: Whose toys are these?
DD: Mine
ME: Who was playing with it?
DD: ME
Me: So who should clean up?
DD: ME (with some long face)
Then she picks up and says Mama can you please help me too. I do help her is cleaning it. In this way she doesn't feel left out and feel that she is being punished.

Swethasri · Jul 29, 2014

Chitra, I like the way of conversation you have with your DD. My DS do all kinds of tricks to escape from putting away his toys. At the end of the day I am so tired of dealing with every thing and this idea pops up in my mind. Somehow its working.

ramyav_cse · Jul 29, 2014

My house has alwayz been messy...if not toys, my DS manages to get every single thing from the kitchen and the floor is in a bigger mess...we do sing the clean up song that his teacher sings and he does clean it up when asked but again right after he puts those toys in the toy chest, a new set comes out. He has toys that are not appropriate for his age though...stuff that was bought when he was smaller and he still plays with them... Im looking to donate all of them in a few months (we are going back n forth about having a second baby and the miser me wants to save the toys since they look new :bonk).

anmolhai · Jul 29, 2014

When my kids were that age I didn't mind toys around the house. I think its important for children to have access to different toys to exercise creativity. We assigned our family room and their room for toys.
We did put them away before bed time. It was a game to see who can put most toys back and that person gets to pick the bedtime story. Also it gives them pride and ownership for their things.

ramyaramani · Jul 29, 2014

I have kept one box of toys in each room. Before moving on to the next room I ask my DD to clean up (yes sometimes it is cajoling/forcing/requesting). But she always has access to any toy at any time. She is allowed to mix match her toys from other rooms.I feel creativity increases when they have accessibility.

For eg: She like to play with kitchen utensils. I give her utensils. She grabs spoons from her play kitchen and my kitchen. She brings her dolls/animals to eat the food that she has cooked. She then takes them for a walk in their stroller.

When she starts playing I don't know or rather even she might not know what you she wants next. I let her imagination run wild by letting her make a mess. When she is ready to move on to the next room we clean up.