Tidy Toddlers: Helping Them To Help You
Start 'em young! It's a good idea to help toddlers understand that
things that are taken out should go back.
His
nursery school teacher will certainly thank you for it. Considering how
much time most of us spend looking for things we've lost, he may even
thank you for it himself when he gets older. Don't expect too much in
the beginning though. Tidiness is something they've got to learn. It's a task some find easier than others.
A smile or a song can help the job along!
Keep things in the same place so he knows where they belong. Have a number
of labelled brightly coloured boxes and start by getting him to put bricks
in one, cars in another, soft toys in a third. Make a game of it! Have
low shelves for books and big things and put toys with many fiddly little
pieces on a high shelf, so you can restrict the number in use.
Mummy's
little helper
Toddlers love helping out so milk his desire to please you. Show your
appreciation of his efforts. Be specific, tell him exactly what it is
that he's done right e.g. 'That's good, all of the cars are together in
the garage box.'
Getting
your child to help out is likely to make the task in hand more complicated
and take twice as long, but you've got to start somewhere. If you're in
a hurry, don't ask your toddler to help. It'll end in tears - most probably
yours. Accept his limitations. He's no longer a baby but he's far from
an adult.
Respecting their space
Be careful when you tidy up around him,
that you don't destroy something he has spent time building. Don't barge
in and start to clear everything away just because it's time for tea.
He may want to show you what he has done or continue working on it later.
How would you like it if you were immersed in something and it was all
swept away without as much as a by-your-leave?
It's your home, not a showhouse
You can't have a family and have a house that's constantly tidy. So relax and lower your standards a bit. Try not to get in a mess in the first place, by restricting the number of toys out at any one time. Avoid toys that come in lots of tiny pieces. Try not to buy too many toys and pass old ones on as soon as you're sure he's outgrown them - toy libraries are a great source of temporary toys. If possible keep one area of the house toddler (and mess) free.
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