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Pick up Those Toys, Please
6 Strategies to Get Your Toddler to Clean Up
By Melinda Copp
Alicia Rockmore, CEO of Buttoned Up, Inc., an organizing company based in Ann Arbor, Mich., recommends starting with the idea of putting toys back in a bucket or other container, and eventually building up to the point where they can clean up art supplies or outdoor toys. The key to avoiding a struggle and bigger messes down the road is to start teaching how to clean up as soon as possible. "The earlier the better when it comes to building the habit of picking up toys," Rockmore says.
Parents are a child's primary role models. Toddlers are constantly observing and learning from Mom and Dad, and they readily copy the behaviors they see on a regular basis. That means you must model the behaviors you want to see.
"The first thing we have to remember when teaching our children is that they learn better by example," says Adelaide Zindler, a mom from Ramona, Calif., and author of the forthcoming book, Fearless Parenting. "When it comes to picking up after themselves, toddlers are more likely to embrace being neat by watching us first."
Toddlers love doing things with everyone together as a family, and they love to help. It makes them feel like an important part of the group. And at cleanup time, you can use this to your advantage.
"I try to tell them that it's all part of being a contributor to the household," says Donna Johnson, a mom from Charlotte, N.C. "Mommy and Daddy clean up after our messes, so they need to do the same."
When your toddler spills something or makes a mess with his toys, talk about the importance of pitching in while you help them clean up. And use encouraging language and praise to get them involved. Making cleanup a family affair, and not just Mom and Dad's job, reinforces that your toddler is a part of the family and therefore partially responsible for straightening up the house.