Not Picking Up Toys

[Country Kids]

The camels back was broke today-it was the straw that did it!:: Anyway, I'm tired of excuses of their tired, we are busy in the evenings, its their age, etc. of childrens behaviors.

Today, I asked the kids to pick up the toys that they had been playing with so we could go outside. Same routine every day, day in day out. They pretty much flat out refused and kept playing and dawdling along.

So, I got out the nap mats and they are having to lay down. I gave them a 15 minute lay down time and then once again asked please pick up so we can outside. Nothing! Back down on the nap mats.

This makes me so mad as I love to be outside and we get very little nice weather here. Its very overcast/cloudy/cool this morning but I'm trying to push forward and be outside with them.

Is this something that you guys would do or would you just leave the mess, go outside and try afterwards? My fear is I'm going to have to pick them up to get it done.

[SilverSabre25]

Time for a new tactic, I'd say.

Do you have any popsicles, cookies, or other special treat? This might be a good day for an impromtu "picnic" outside...but of course you can't go out and have the picnic until the toys are cleaned up.

The food isn't a reward...it's a carrot!

This has worked for me in the past.

Or assigning each child a single task--"Joey, pick up the unit blocks please. Marissa, you need to clean up the play food. Jonathon, your job is to clean up the train tracks..." etc. When they finish their first task, they get another one if there's still more work to be done.

You can also make it a race. "Everybody, pick up three toys before I count to ten! Ready...go!" And then count slowly and watch to see hwo they're doing. Then when you get to ten, you do it again. "Let's try again...go!"

I have also divided up the room into portions of equal(ish) mess and assigned each child a rough "square" to clean.

[Heidi]

Time for a new tactic, I'd say.

Do you have any popsicles, cookies, or other special treat? This might be a good day for an impromtu "picnic" outside...but of course you can't go out and have the picnic until the toys are cleaned up.

The food isn't a reward...it's a carrot!

This has worked for me in the past.

Or assigning each child a single task--"Joey, pick up the unit blocks please. Marissa, you need to clean up the play food. Jonathon, your job is to clean up the train tracks..." etc. When they finish their first task, they get another one if there's still more work to be done.

You can also make it a race. "Everybody, pick up three toys before I count to ten! Ready...go!" And then count slowly and watch to see hwo they're doing. Then when you get to ten, you do it again. "Let's try again...go!"

I have also divided up the room into portions of equal(ish) mess and assigned each child a rough "square" to clean.

This is what I do, too. It helps a little. That way, if one person is doing "their job", they can go start getting shoes on while the others finish. If there is a straggler, I'd leave him or her to themselves with an invitation to come out when they are done. Most kids hate being left behind...

If it seems to be too overwhelming, maybe you should consider removing about half the toys out of reach this weekend. Ideally, out of reach but withing their sight. Then, they can trade you something they've cleaned up for something they want. If the cars are up, for instance, and dck wants them, you can say "sure...as soon as you clean up the xx you were playing with. Then we can trade "

[daycarediva]

I have a dcb(2) that just screams "NO" and throws things, at every clean up time, every.single.day. it drives me bonkers. At home they just leave the mess everyday/night and Mom picks it up to clean once a week. Already tried asking the parents to reinforce the 'helping' at home. They don't have time.

Even small children used to like to 'help' and the simple pride in getting it done and praise was enough. I think nowadays most parents just do it for them (or it goes undone) and there are less 'little helpers' out there.

That being said, I have our toys arranged in totes with a picture of what goes inside on the front. I give a tote to each child, and those are the toys they are responsible for. The first one done 'wins', and then they get their shoes on, I sunblock them, and we cheer on the other kids. The first one done is also the first one off the deck outside (so they get the pick of the toys/swings, etc) I even heard a day care kid say "You aren't beating me again today ******, I'm getting the tire swing!"

The positive peer pressure seems to help for everyone except ^ one I mentioned up there. When he doesn't help, he is the last one to go play outside.

[countrymom]

I'm having a problem the last couple of days. I have a 3 yr old dcg who is so good all the time for me, but the last couple of days when I tell her to clean she starts to cry hysterically. I've never seen anything like this.

[Lilbutterflie]

The camels back was broke today-it was the straw that did it!:: Anyway, I'm tired of excuses of their tired, we are busy in the evenings, its their age, etc. of childrens behaviors.

Today, I asked the kids to pick up the toys that they had been playing with so we could go outside. Same routine every day, day in day out. They pretty much flat out refused and kept playing and dawdling along.

So, I got out the nap mats and they are having to lay down. I gave them a 15 minute lay down time and then once again asked please pick up so we can outside. Nothing! Back down on the nap mats.

This makes me so mad as I love to be outside and we get very little nice weather here. Its very overcast/cloudy/cool this morning but I'm trying to push forward and be outside with them.

Is this something that you guys would do or would you just leave the mess, go outside and try afterwards? My fear is I'm going to have to pick them up to get it done.

Here we have clean up twice per day; once right before story time & nap time; the other before pick up time. We definitely go outside & leave the mess if it's not our normal clean up time. That's just me & what works for us.

If your routine always consists of cleaning up before you go outside; then don't leave the mess just because they don't want to clean up. Stick to your guns.

I love to assign tasks to each child, I think it works really well & it makes it so that it's not so overwhelming to have to pick EVERYTHING up. And they get to work as a team!

I love to point out the ones who ARE cleaning up and praise, praise, praise. It works every time.

I also usually give stickers to them after cleanup time when we really have a good clean up without whining.

[My3cents]

I have a miracle going right now. I start singing the clean up song. They start singing. I start cleaning stuff up. They start. If they don't, I show them and help them to do it. I have two year old's cleaning up every day. Miracle!!! We do it at the same time every day too- right before we go out. We all just pitch in and get it done. If someone is a debbie downer, I show them what I want done and we just go at it.

Best-

[Lilbutterflie]

I'm having a problem the last couple of days. I have a 3 yr old dcg who is so good all the time for me, but the last couple of days when I tell her to clean she starts to cry hysterically. I've never seen anything like this.

My son actually went through this VERY same thing! It was totally out of the blue when he was 3. I give them multiple warnings and count down to clean up time to make it an easy transition. It still wouldn't matter. Every time he would break out the hysterics because he didn't want to clean.

He would sit in timeout if he started to cry hysterically. I would assign each child their own cleanup task; and his task would wait until his timeout was over. There were days he would need two back to back timeouts to get him to clean up. But his mess was always right there waiting for him and I would not let the other kids clean it up for him. It lasted a few months and stopped.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

We assign jobs and helpers.

We also, recently, placed many holding containers for the smaller toys (animals, monuments, wooden food, etc.) so that clean-up simply involves placing them in the holding container. When we want the children to close down a center (a rarity, but it does happen) we simply take the holding container.

[Breezy]

Not to derail the thread but first time mom here!! I have been wondering what age do you think the child should become little helpers at home? DH and I usually clean up for my 17 month old DS throughout the day and after he goes to bed. He sometimes puts stuff away after using it but usually not! Is he too young to try and show him how to help clean up?

[spud912]

Not to derail the thread but first time mom here!! I have been wondering what age do you think the child should become little helpers at home? DH and I usually clean up for my 17 month old DS throughout the day and after he goes to bed. He sometimes puts stuff away after using it but usually not! Is he too young to try and show him how to help clean up?

My younger dd and dcb (both same age) started cleaning up at around 13 months or so. If they can take it out, they can put it back! By 17 months, they were cleaning up their messes independently without my assistance. Now, they do have their days where they need constant reminders (they are 21 months old now), but they know how.

[MyAngels]

Lately we've been making a game out of it by counting to 100 - to the tune of the William Tell Overture ::. The game is to see if they can get it done by the time I reach 100. I'm not sure why, but they get pretty fast and furious cleaning up, laughing the whole time.

[HaveaHoot]

My younger dd and dcb (both same age) started cleaning up at around 13 months or so. If they can take it out, they can put it back! By 17 months, they were cleaning up their messes independently without my assistance. Now, they do have their days where they need constant reminders (they are 21 months old now), but they know how.

We have been having our son pick up his toys since 13 months also. Now at 20 months he does it many times without being asked and even has "chores" like feeding the dogs (with help), putting his dishes in the sink when done and putting his shoes away and laundry in the hamper.

[spud912]

We have been having our son pick up his toys since 13 months also. Now at 20 months he does it many times without being asked and even has "chores" like feeding the dogs (with help), putting his dishes in the sink when done and putting his shoes away and laundry in the hamper.

Haha, my daughter too! At 21 months old, she puts laundry in the hamper, sets the table, puts her shoes away, helps stir things and make meals, among other tasks. She gets mad at me if I don't let her help! It's amazing how much they know at such a young age too. She knows all of the dck's coordinating plate/cup/silverware colors and where they belong at the table, she knows how to organize laundry by color, etc.

[Hunni Bee]

Mine are pretty good at cleaning up.

Everything I have is in bins. Every bin has the picture of what belongs in it taped to the front.

No dumping allowed - they have to take out what they want and leave the rest. No "toy soup" is allowed.

If its something with an insane amount of pieces, I only put half of it out and use the other half to replace when some goes missing.

Stuff stays in its home...cars don't go to dramatic play, puzzle pieces don't leave the puzzle.

I don't make an issue about cleaning up - you clean up, or go sit at the table. If someone has to go sit at the table, that's usually when I break my stickers out. If you keep having to go to the table everyday, you get a limit on what you can take out til you clean up better.