I have a 3 and 4 year old and some nights, it's a pain to get them to pick up their toys. I am tired of picking them up myself. I would like to be able to do my dishes or something while they are picking up the toys. I've helped them pick them up, pointed toys out, I've even threatened to get rid of some of the toys, all to no avail. Any ideas???
2006-11-02 12:20:35 · 18 answers · asked by Jennifer 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
When I tell them to pick them up, I do mean it. I can have a pretty decent bite to my voice when I want to, but obviously, yelling at them itsn't going to do anything.
We pick up toys every night before our bedtime routine, so taking away a snack isn't going to help either. I have taken away a bedtime story before, but all that does is makes bedtime a scream fest, when it usually isn't.
2006-11-02 12:26:24 · update #1
Also, when I have taken toys away in the past, my oldest will just say ok and throw them in the trash can. So, some of the toys have really been thrown away.
It drives me crazy, because they really are good girls other than this.
2006-11-02 12:28:51 · update #2
At their ages is a battle and I noticed it is pretty common.
Have you tried making it a game? Such as, see who can find the most toys with red (working on colors and numbers) or sizes of toys. See who can put the most toys in the box first. Do singing that reflects picking up and treating their toys good so they can last them a life long adventure. (Did this one at the pre school alot).
Limit the amount of toys they have access to. They can each pick a toy out. They can play with it for however long and when they are ready for a new toy, they have to put that one up first before they can get a new toy. They might fuss, but at least you will only have one/two toy/s for them to pick up rather than multi.
If they throw them away. Then say "Im sorry you feel that way about your toy. I am sure someone else will appreciate it" or something down the lines. Sometimes they might go "no no no" or other times they shrug it off. One of the parents donated a big box and that was the EXACT reason what her child did. He was trying to take the toys back home and she said he threw them away. Explained to him that next time he should think twice about how he treats his toys. He has become a lot better on his toys since then. He is 6.
As I got older myself, my mom would say "If on the floor and not in appropriate area, it will be donated". She did mean it to and there be times I had to donate the box myself to teach me a lesson of giving to those who will appreciate it. Which I love donating but kinda sucked to as a consequence as well.
2006-11-02 17:56:23 · answer #1 · answered by Mutchkin 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My son has this problem, and I've tried plenty of ideas, but the one that seems to work best is by trying to make it a fun game of some kind. Usually I just get my kids ready, and when I say, Go! they'll run off filling their arms with their toys and dumping them into their toy boxes. It's always a tie, and they both get rewarded either with a hug and a kiss or 15 minutes of extra story time.
Hope this helped!
2006-11-02 21:05:27 · answer #2 · answered by greyce1989 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dont tell them you are going to get rid of the toys actually hide some put some up and tell them that if they cant help pick up the toys then they cant play with them anymore. Tell them that you also have things that you have to do and that if they helped that you three would have more time to spend together and do something fun besides fight over toys. I done this with my child and it worked great.
2006-11-02 20:24:38 · answer #3 · answered by mother of 2 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe try changing the routine...clean up before supper...it's hard, because kids this age (i have a 5 and 2 1/2 year old) seem older than they are, but this is a hard task for them to complete on their own...i've tried setting a timer, and we all pick up until the buzzer goes off...making it a game of beat the clock seems exciting to them and it seems to work most times
putting the toys that aren't picked up in "time out" is something that worked for my girlfriend...then after a certain period of time, the toys would be put back in circulation (usually 3 days to a week)
2006-11-02 20:42:42 · answer #4 · answered by nurse123 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Act on your threat. When I was about 5 or so, my dad told me to pick up my toys or he would throw them all out - whatever wasn't put away. I was being lazy and I didn't really think he'd throw away what he had bought because it was wasting money, so I just left them. That afternoon, my dad went to see if the toys were picked up and they weren't. He went into the kitchen, got out a trashbag and went and started putting the toys in the trashbag and he put them in the trashcan outside. I got upset but I learned my lesson and picked up my toys from then on - I learned that my parents meant what they said then and didn't push the limits as much on things I was told to do.
2006-11-02 20:30:28 · answer #5 · answered by miss_alex 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when my kids were that age, i had a little tykes shopping cart and we would pick up their toys together and put them in the cart. they would push the cart to the different rooms and put the items where they belonged. i also have a basket for this reason. if you allow them to play with toys in the living room, have a basket or something for them to keep their toys in there. sometimes kids have too many toys. put only a few out at a time, keep the rest in the closet, rotating the toys out every few weeks. all my kids wanted to do was dump everything out of the toy chest and leave them on the floor.
2006-11-02 21:54:48 · answer #6 · answered by haikuhi2002 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well keep level headed and dont expect them to pcik them all up, but set a timer in there room for like 5 minutes and tell them to pcik up as much as they can untill it goes off. when they get older adjust the time to 10 minutes to 15. telll them that if they dont do it, they will be punished, if they do pick up there toys, they can have a special treat! when i was a kid, we were just expected to listen or we would be paddled. we just listen and did as we were told and if we didnt we got a whooping, not abuse (for all those weirdos out there that think spanking is child abuse!!) there were rules and we followed them or else! if ur not that strong willed with ur kids its ok, jsut try what i said up at the top! plus 3 and 4 are way to young to hit!! i would jsut try everything else under the sun! lol
2006-11-02 21:44:46 · answer #7 · answered by ask me about make up and fashion 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make it a game. Turn on some fun music and have them see who can pick the toys up the fastest (maybe the kid who wins can pick a movie to watch or whatever a small reward will work).
2006-11-02 20:26:37 · answer #8 · answered by Karen G 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My kids are under 2 so I make a game out of it. I praise them continuously while we pick them up together. Now I can ask them to bring me something and they actually do it. I'm hoping that soon I'll be able to ask them to pick up toys and not have to do it with them, but doing it together is a start.
2006-11-02 21:17:35 · answer #9 · answered by Lesley C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you make a threat like that you have to follow through otherwise they don't think that you are for real. So take the toys away-put them in a box for a week or 2. Otherwise this will lead to other things that they will walk all over you about.
2006-11-02 20:24:10 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋