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Picking up toys

post #1 of 15
6/25/04 at 2:46pm
Thread Starter 
When should children start helping pick up their own toys? Kate is 14 months old now, but I don't think she quite has the concept yet.
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post #2 of 15
6/25/04 at 2:54pm
All 3 of mine started very young .. but not in a major way at all. Just a little here and there. We always sand the "clean up" song too!
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post #3 of 15
6/25/04 at 4:20pm
Jared started to understand the concept around 18 mos - but I say he inherited DH's "neat freak " gene

Lord knows, he didn't get it from me !
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post #4 of 15
6/26/04 at 1:56am
beats me. Mine are 2 1/2 , 4 and 5 and it is like pulling teeth to get them to do it and either they ignore me, or don't understand what I am saying. I know they speak english, I taught them to talk.
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post #5 of 15
6/26/04 at 2:26am
still waiting... logan loves to unpack the toybox.... just no good at putting it all back in yet
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post #6 of 15
6/26/04 at 11:02am
I think enforcing cleaning up after play can be done at any age. For instance, even at 6-8 months if you are ready to move from play to lunch or something you can say "It's clean up time" and let them watch you put all the toys back where they came from. Make it a habit from a young age and it will be less of a battle when they are older.
We have children at our church nursery as young as 12 months who when you say "clean up time" start carrying things back to the toy box.
Of course, I say this because I have lots childcare experience and have seen it done with a lot of "daycare kids". My kids however refuse to do anything without being forced and constantly supervised.
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post #7 of 15
6/26/04 at 11:30am
whats "pciking up toys????" Mykaylas 9 and I have to the nag the HE!! outta her to clean anything!
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post #8 of 15
7/6/04 at 11:59pm
I tell Aaron to "clean up" and that means that mommy puts stuff away and Aaron turns around the throws stuff around. He'll get it eventually.
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post #9 of 15
7/7/04 at 1:45pm
I think when kids are younger it is easier somewhat. Sometimes you can make a game out of it.
Definately doesn't work when they are older.
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post #10 of 15
7/7/04 at 2:05pm
I have always tried to do what Elaine said. Eventually Alexander started helping me and now Elizabeth does some, but mostly it's me and Alexander cleaning up the toys.

I also take the approach that they should occasionally be rewarded for doing what I ask them to do. Heck, I expect to get rewarded here at work for doing my job, so why shouldn't my kids? So I'll sometimes offer them with a special treat like ice cream or to watch a show/movie once toys are picked up.
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post #11 of 15
7/7/04 at 3:20pm
Trey will only do it if you sing the barney song "Clean Up"
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post #12 of 15
7/7/04 at 3:26pm
Alexander's cousins sing that song when they come over and are cleaning up before going home so after that, he'll sing it for a couple of days and clean on his own without having to be told to do it.
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post #13 of 15
7/7/04 at 3:27pm
Olivia will do a little bit before she is bored of it and then wants to start taking the toys back out.
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post #14 of 15
7/7/04 at 3:46pm
Joey has 10 minutes at the end of the day to pick up his toys. Anything he decides he doesn't want to pick up (and I end up having to pick up) becomes Mommy's toy. He lost his Yu-Gi-Oh deck for about a month once - he was so upset by that, I've never had to pick it up again.

The other time is when I have to vacuum, I tell him I'm going to, and he races around picking everything up, so I won't vacuum it.
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post #15 of 15
7/7/04 at 6:10pm
11/2 to 2 years old they can learn to pick up toys, they may not get it where it is to go but they will learn in time by you sterring them to where the item goes.
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