Bucket Dumping

[WImom]

How do you handle 2y old that keeps dumping out buckets but either plays for a minute or not at all. Of course doesn't want to help pick up. I do have a rule that you pick up before moving on. He is my only 2y old so I don't have dumping issue with anyone else.

Do you just deal with it until 3y because it's too early to teach not to dump or should he be able to learn that?

Should I not let him play with that bucket anymore for the day if he won't pick up or again too hard for two year old?

I don't usually have two year old or they are older two's so I'm lost sometimes on this age.

[Brooksie]

All of my 2 year olds have to help clean up. I do not expect them to do it by themselves and I always help, but they need to at least participate. As far as the dumping, try to explain that we don't dump toys. If they dump it, sit down with them and clean it up immediately, then allow them to play without dumping, if they dump again, do the same thing. If they dump a 3rd time the bucket goes out of reach. They will learn that they won't be able to use the toy if its spread all over the floor. Also try to limit the amount of things available to dump. I used to have a lot of littles and blocks in bins and had this problem myself. I cut that kind of stuff that was available without asking more than in half and there's a lot less of a mess throughout the day. Good luck!

[melilley]

To me, developmentally it's normal and that's what 2 year old's like to do, dump everything and leave, they have short attention spans! But I agree with Brooksie, they should have to at least help clean up! I have one 2 year old dcb who loves to dump everything out, but he does clean up, especially if we are going to do something he likes to do... Sometimes modeling works, other times the hand over hand method works.

[butterfly]

To me, developmentally it's normal and that's what 2 year old's like to do, dump everything and leave, they have short attention spans! But I agree with Brooksie, they should have to at least help clean up! I have one 2 year old dcb who loves to dump everything out, but he does clean up, especially if we are going to do something he likes to do... Sometimes modeling works, other times the hand over hand method works.

A 2 yr old is old enough to train not to dump all the toys, but it is typical normal behavior - until you teach them otherwise.

[Cat Herder]

It is developmentally appropriate and the textbook answer would be to sit back and delight in the child's creative exploration and take pride in setting up an environment which allows it...... At year two I would have agreed. ::

My answer on year 19 was to drill small holes into the bottom of the bins and double knot them down to the shelving. I fill them once a day (hundreds of manipulatives), after their contents are tossed about for a bit they go into the disinfecting bin not to return until the next day.

They can do their dumping on Mommy's time..... she has 14 hours to my 10 per day and rarely has 6 kids, alone, at a time.

[LK5kids]

I had really young two's last winter and some even younger. I had to limit bins of toys to say a bin with six blocks or five little people or a bin of 5/6 dishes & food. The rest were self contained toys with no pieces-lots of those.....bead mazes, jack in the box, 2 large trucks-not a bin of smaller trucks, etc.

It saved a lot of headache. Those two's are now getting close to three. They no longer do this and the bins are full. The kids who are now getting close to two have not yet begun this stage of development. Yes, I think you can train them. I found it easier to limit how much was in the bins.

[Brooksie]

Here's a good example. I have an 18 mo in care here and he was just sitting in front of our bin organizer. He pulled out the truck bin and then the ball bin right on top of it and started pulling things out of both. I just walked over to him and said "K**** that's too much. Clean up." And he reached down and picked up a truck and put it back in the bin. I cleaned up the balls and put them back and he had put a few trucks back, I then helped him hand over hand to clean up the rest of the trucks and said "Cleaning cleaning! Good job K****" Then when we put the bin back in the organizer I pulled it out just a little bit and said "pick ONE." He pointed and said "vroom!" I said "The motorcycle?" and pointed to a blue motorcycle, he said "YEA" and clapped his hands. Now he's quietly playing with the ONE motorcycle instead of all the trucks, and he participated in the cleaning up process. He's on 18 months, so its totally possible for your 2 year olds to do something similar. Again, it is unrealistic for them to do it by them selves, but if you show them and help them it works wonders.

[Blackcat31]

I have two toddlers (ages 13 and 15 months) and they dump all the time. They also pick up ....on their own.

When they first enter the dumping stage, I monitor their play pretty closely.

I don't care if they pick it all up and put it all in one container....I don't worry about mixing and/or sorting until later.

Once they master picking up, then we add the sorting.

I also have photos of the toys taped (contact paper) to the front and bottoms of the bins showing what toy belongs in what bin.

I also have photos of the filled bin taped (contact paper) on the shelf where it belongs so they know where things go.

It really only takes a couple days of continuous guiding and role modeling and they "get it".

Now when I say clean up, they do and they do a fantastic job!

I don't think it is unreasonable for you to expect them to do this UNLESS they haven't been shown or taught.

Use the bigger kids too....seems peer influence at this age is a magic formula compared to peer influence later... ::

[jenboo]

This is driving me insane too!!! I have a 16 month old and an 18 month old. The 18 month old just dumps to make me want to pull my hair out! Seriously, he will get read to dump, ill say "toys aren't for dumping" "cars are for pushing" etc, he will look at me, smile and dump! Or if i start walking towards him, he will try and dump as fast as he can!
I have sat there with them and made them clean up after each bucket they get but the second I walk away to start lunch (kitchen and daycare room is the same room divided by a baby gate) they dump them all out again!

I like the idea of only a couple toys per bucket. I'm totally doing that today! I either have to be right next to them the entire day or the room is a complete disaster!