What To Expect From A 2yo?

[newtodaycare22]

So, I recently added two 2s to my group of 4 year olds. I haven't had experience with this age group. I find myself saying, 'Oh, they are only 2..." but I want to make sure I'm not being too easy on them. Here is what I'm having issues with:

-Clean up. My 3-5 year olds clean up as they go along and I know they understand that concept. Do 2 year olds? It's pulling teeth to get them to put stuff away.
-Rules about boundaries with toys: Ie: No strollers/rolling toys in the kitchen (hardwood floor that I like ). My other kids get it. My 2 year olds, no matter how many times I say it, continue to bring stuff in there. I don't want to put up a gate because it'd cause more disruptions than good. Should they be able to GET "No strollers in the kitchen". Do I just need to keep remphasing (they have been here 2 weeks).

Thanks!!

[WImom]

the clean up thing, I'm still working on all my kids to do this.

the boundaries - I also have a section that toys aren't allowed in. (but it's all toys - not sure if you let some toys but not wheeled ones) and I have a line of tape down for mine. They remember after a few times with some reminders every once in awhile.

[mismatchedsocks]

I find that with 2 year olds, unless they all are picking up they have a hard time focusing on what THEY should be doing. Mine are just 2 year olds though. The boundries, the just 2 year olds have a hard time with except the line I made with tape for them not to cross without me. Its into my ktichen. My almost 3 year old has no problem cleaning up with them, knowing the boundries, etc.

[Christian Mother]

My daycare consists of only 2 yr old and my daughter is 4yrs old. 2 yr old can def. clean up on there own. We sing the clean up song as we are picking up they don't complain or cry about it at all. Even while we are out side they will put all the toys back to where they originally go. The only problems I've noticed with the 2's is the constant redirecting when they are doing something they shouldn't and yes, you have to constantly do it over and over until they get it...repetitive. But, after 2 wks they understand..like not throwing toys down stairs or rolling toys on the walls or throwing toys or food on the floor. The big kids can really help with this bc there the example. And the littles follow what they see. My daughter is really good at defusing something also. Older kids usually are.

[newtodaycare22]

Any good clean up songs to suggest?

[cheerfuldom]

cleaning up is hard for 2 year olds, they need lots of direction. also, just put the strollers away for now because they can't handle those with rules.

[e.j.]

I have almost all 2 year olds. Some turned 2 fairly recently and others are closer to 2.5 to 2.10. I started out having them put all the toys on the floor into a large bin instead of in their proper places. It seems to be less overwhelming for them. Then I start asking them to put certain toys away in their proper spots. It has taken me several months but they're finally getting to the point where most are just skipping the bin and putting the toys in their proper storage places. We also play "I Spy" and that helps a lot when their not feeling as cooperative as I'd like them to.

Before the older kids left for preschool and kindergarten, I used to make a big deal of it when they'd pick up the toys without me having to remind them. I'd walk into the playroom and act shocked saying, "Wow!!! Look at this clean room! It must be my birthday... or Christmas....or Mother's Day?! Wow! Thank you so much!!!" They'd all get excited and gather around me, giving me hugs and wishing me a Happy Birthday. The other day, after the 2 year old group cleaned up, the oldest gave me a hug and shouted, "Happy Birthday, EJ!!!!!" and the others all followed her lead. It was soooo cute and it gave me hope that they're getting ready to take over where the older kids left off.

As far as the kids bringing toys into areas they shouldn't be, I do have to repeat, repeat, repeat myself constantly. When I'm in the kitchen cooking a meal for them, they want to be in the same room with me so I'm always having to tell them to bring the toys back into the playroom. Some days, I feel like I'm going to lose my mind from the repetition but they are getting closer to the point where they'll be able to remember the rules and follow them. In my exerience, 2 weeks is a fairly short amount of time to expect 2 year olds to remember and follow the rules but keep reminding them and they'll get there before you know it.

[nannyde]

As soon as they can walk they can work.

I have them clean up toys as soon as they are old enough to pick them up to play with them. Once they can stand up to get toys from the toy box they are big enough to pick them up and put them back.

I don't do any clean up songs or any excitement around cleaning. I don't reward them or praise them when they do it. I don't have excitement, reward, or praise when they get them out either.

I don't have them put them away right after they are done playing with them. I just wait until the floor gets too crowded and then tell them to clean up. During this time all the kids have to clean until everything is back in the right place. As soon as it is completely clean they resume playing.

The one year olds go through a phase where they are cleaninest cleaners of them all. This is when they are excited about being able to sort toys. My staff assistants are always very "besmirched" about what awesome cleaners they are. I have to break the news that this is just a phase and soon enough the same kid will balk and get slow cleaning.

As soon as the thrill wears off and it becomes a chore they go through a stage of rebellion where they don't want to do it. THIS is the time where the rubber meets the road and we have to one to one them to make sure they get the message that they WILL clean toys. This usually hits around the first quarter of the second year.

If you are steadfast and unbending about their responsibility to clean during this phase and invest the attention and precision it takes to enforce the rules they will eventually GET that it's not an optional task. It's important to stay with it and NOT put it onto the willing ones whether they be the sorting one year olds or the seasoned older twos, threes, and fours.

It's tempting to have the willing ones just do it but if you do that you will pay later when the ones who are supposed to be seasoned cleaners refuse to do it without a bunch of adult involement because they weren't expected to do it during the rebellious phase.

So put in the work and insist that they do it. At my house if you refuse to do your share you will find yourself doing EVERYONES share of your side of the room. I teach them that if they balk at their part that I will have everyone on their side cleared off the floor and have them clean their side. If that doesn't get the message acroos then I have them do the whole room (two sides... big kids side and little kids side) completely by themeselves ... when all the other kids are doing something special that we NEVER do unless we have a rebel.

If that doesn't work .. meaning the kid GETS that it's easier to do their share than everyone else's share too... then we go to commando mode and have them do everyones share PLUS I add a couple of big containers of blocks dumped out and sprayed all over into the mix of what is on the floor. With every refusal I increase the clean load until they GET that the amount is going to be more and harder to put away.

Most kids get that they MUST do it with just them having to do their own side of the room by themselves. A few have to do the whole playroom once to get it. Every few years I get one that I have to start dumping/spraying containers of toys into the mix to increase the work. I've had two or three that I had to basically cover the entire floor and have them spend an hour picking them up.

The whole idea is to show them that what we are asking to them to do in the first place is very reasonable. The more unreasonable they get about not wanting to do their share the more toys they have to clean. I increase it as their refussal increases.

I also talk to the parents about where we are in the graduated increase of toys to pick up and how much prompting and one to oneing they need to actually get the job done. The parents are very helpful by being super aware of them refusing them at home and start to address it with their own expectations.

If a kid gets to the point where they are having to do the whole room I will make a call to the parent (usually Dad) and let them know that little Johnny is again refusing to clean. They don't want me to call the parents to get into trouble so they usually get to it when I tell them that's next. I've had to actually call a parent a couple of times for the more defiant ones.

I've never had the system NOT work. It works every single time. It's a lot of work upfront to stay on them and to give a consequence (more cleaning) in the end because once they have had to spend a lot of play time cleaning they don't like it and would much rather just clean the little bit of toys they are required to clean during our stop playing and clean floor clean ups that happen periodically during the day.

Almost every new two year old has to have SOME increase in the toys to GET the idea. Most.... by far.... learn it with just having their own side to clean by themselves. It's a rare kid that will take the defiance to the level where they have a LOT of work to do to get the message across.

So our day to day life is eight kids who will happily and quickly clean the toys they are expected to clean without anything more than the adults word "clean up".

Everything has it's spot. We have VERY organized toys. The toys they have access to are the toys they can easily clean. I don't allow them to play with toys that are too difficult for them to put away properly. I also have the pack leader (oldest) do the HARD work of putting together the doll house and the kitchen. They don't do it all themselves BUT they are responsible for having to check it and make sure it's done my way.

My way is everything has it's SPECIFIC spot ( babies in high chair... toddler dolls on toddler chair... mommy and daddy in big bed.. rugs in front of couch etc. That's way more precision work and THAT work gets kudoos and special privledges for the pack leader. She's responsible to check the hard to do toys AND check both sides of the room to make sure each toy is put back into the proper place and completely sorted (like blocks are pulled apart NOT put back into the block table bin grouped together or all little people OUT of the little people trucks and school busses and put in the bin for little people.

The leader gets prviledges for doing THAT work at the end of the day. She gets to pick the story book or stay up a bit later at nap to have some one to one story. She gets special because she does work for the WHOLE group every day that is harder and helps me and my staff assistant from having to do the checking and fixing.

I don't believe in praising or doing excitement around the normal process of clean up. I just thank the ones who go above and beyond to make sure it's all done in my way and takes responsbility for the supervision of the work of the younger ones who are just learning. She teaches them and supervises them by shwoing them the right spots and being willing to fix anything complicated that needs to be redone.

That's her job as our leader and she is paid handsomely with earned privledges for doing the above and beyond work it takes. Our toys are always in excellent condition and completely set for the best possible play the next time the kids play the toys.

It nets great toys playing and easy... no involement... (other than working with the refuser)

That's what I want.

[Christian Mother]

Any good clean up songs to suggest?

We sing : Clean Up, Clean Up, Everyone Everywhere, Clean Up, Clean Up Everyone Do Their Share...and repeat and repeat and repeat..heheh...the kids love it and all my 2's clean with direction and with me guiding them and making it fun. I am a huge singer and dancer here and we are always dancing and singing here and learning new songs.

I agree with Nan that I leave the toys out until they are just a complete mess in play room and then when I feel that it's just out of control, we clean.

[Hunni Bee]

I personally cannot stand the floor to get covered with toys. That would literally ruin my day.

So we do NOT wait for the room to get trashed before we clean up. We clean up constantly. You put it down and turn your back to it, you go back and clean it. Everybody cleans up what they had, then we do a group detail clean at the end...where we make sure things are in the correct bins and stuff looks neat. Me and my coteacher mostly give directions, but we do help too.

I usually get someone saying "But I didn't have this". To which I respond with "I didn't have ANY of this stuff, but Im still helping" and thats the end of it.