it's to the point that you can't even walk in them. I make them clean every night, and it's a terrible fight. how can I get them to quit making such a mess all the time?
2006-07-08 16:32:31 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
You shouldn't lock their toys up.....lol All you have to do is make cleaning it fun to them. That's what I do with mine. They LOVE to help clean. Even my 1 1/2 year old! Include them in vaccuming, doing laundry... whatever. Put some music on and turn it into a dance as every1 puts up the toys. And it's not just fun for them....It's fun for you, too. Plus it teaches them that it's important to pick up after themselves :)
2006-07-08 17:22:30 · answer #1 · answered by moonstarz101 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Repeatedly remind them to take one toy at a time and put it away before taking another one. 4 and 5 is the age where they can understand and follow simple rules.
I had similar problem when my daughter was four. Guess what worked for me! I used to enter the room with a trash cover. After they mess, now its my turn to trash them. So, when I pretend trashing the toys, I made sure I picked her favorites. The minute she sees me she goes.."Mommy please give me five minutes, I will clean it up". Now she is five. She does mess the room sometimes but makes it a point to clean it up after she is done playing.
Make the cleaning session easier by having big basket for their toys. They can just dump them in at the end of the day. You can help them initially. Children usually get used to routine pretty quickly. It takes lots of patience to teach them but they will learn. All the Best.
2006-07-09 00:58:28 · answer #2 · answered by sunshine 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put a majority of their toys away...lock them up. Tell them that when they can show that they can play nicely without making a mess that you will give them back a few toys at a time, but if they revert back to their messy ways that you will take toys away again. If they argue about cleaning up their mess, take all toys out of the room. They are old enough to clean up after themselves. My son is 23 months old and I have already started on getting him to pick up toys, and when he throws food on the floor at meal time I make him pick it up.
2006-07-08 23:53:52 · answer #3 · answered by Ryan's mom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have a clean up time every day and throughout the day have a pick up check several times a day. And make them help...Believe me its not gonna get any easier! I realized my kids have far to many toys.I bought buckets with lids and leave only one out ...then after a week or so I change the bucket for them.Its less to clean up and they act like they are getting new toys everytime you oipen a bucket...It really works!!!
2006-07-09 12:07:27 · answer #4 · answered by empresscalls 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get each one of them a big box, put all of their toys in the boxes. Only allow them one toy at a time out of the box. make them put the toy back in the box befoer they can have another. It may take a week or two, but do it until they get in the routine. If they start slacking off the toys go back into the big box and it starts over again.
2006-07-08 23:42:55 · answer #5 · answered by suequek 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have them take out one toy at a time. If they don't listen, as punishment, you should put their toys somewhere where they can't get into. Do this for 1 day. Then bring them out again, and if they keep doing it. Keep repeating the process until they learn. But, be persistant. Children are smarter then you think. They know a passive parent when they see one.
2006-07-08 23:37:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
if there is truly THAT much stuff .. for them to mess with and have to clean up .. you should perhaps consider DOWN SIZING ....
i reacll battling my daughter when she was 3 ... i stripped her room to BARE BONES >. only left her a matress for a couple of days with a plain set of sheets and bedding ... explained to her .. that the things she had .. were special .. and if we did not take CARE of our special things .. then maybe they should not be hers. A little drastic perhaps for the age ... but far more effective than beating or punishing with small items OR trying a reward system that usually is harder for US to stick to than the kid.
The fact is .. it had an impact ... and ... only threaten what YOU can handle .. not what you think your child can handle. If you make a threat .. personally i say its a promise .. since we want to KEEP our promises to our children .. whether a fun or sincere promise .. or a disiplinary promise ... you will show more character in your child(ren)'s eyes ... if you are true to your words ... with your actions ... and not just a screaming machine ...
good luck ...
2006-07-09 01:25:06 · answer #7 · answered by wyldeblyss 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no clean room no privilages! and tell all there parents the same
and that way you can tell the parent ok or do not let him play
send my kid home if he goes out of the with out you knowing
the other parent could hold on to him I will come get him then ground him in his room for a hour or so or he cleans his room then he has 15 minutes of grounding if he decides to clean his room after slipping out of the house without you knowing you can modify this idea to fit it is not a complete idea but it has some good ideas in there
2006-07-08 23:46:32 · answer #8 · answered by Paul G 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give them a minimum number of toys and things to play with. I used to box up my kids toys and put them somewhere out of reach. Then every few weeks, I'd box up the items they'd been playing with, & give them a new box of their toys. That way clean up isn't too bad, plus it feels like a special treat to get the toys they haven't seen for a few weeks.
2006-07-08 23:37:36 · answer #9 · answered by Just Ducky 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are kids....what do you expect. Wait another 15 years and then kick them out of your house. If a messy room at 4 and 5 is setting you nuts, lord help you when they become teens!
Been there done that!
2006-07-08 23:41:32 · answer #10 · answered by littleflower_57 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋