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Pick up Those Toys, Please
6 Strategies to Get Your Toddler to Clean Up
By Melinda Copp
By the age of 3 or 4, your child should be capable of cleaning up after himself. At this age, they may still need some prompting, but kids should know that they are responsible for their things and they must take care of them.
When your child has trouble catching on, or outright refuses to participate in cleanup time, Dr. Donahue recommends denying a privilege to link a consequence to their behavior. For example, if the child doesn't clean up his toys, he can't go to the park.
"In this case, parents make an explicit connection between the child's responsibility, cleaning up and their access to a privilege or fun activity," Dr. Donahue says. If this doesn't work, the next step would be to pack up the child's toys and say something like, "You have been having trouble picking up your toys, so I'm going to put them away until I know you are ready to take care of them." You can give your child one more chance, but do so in a firm tone that lets them know you mean business. Then, if the problem persists to this point a second time, put the toys away for a few days.
Toddlers never hesitate to make a mess. But learning the importance of cleaning up is just as important as the ability to explore and experiment. As a parent, it's important to model good behaviors and encourage them to help at cleanup time. When you use these 6 strategies, you will help instill good habits on your little ones and gain a little helper in the process.
