how do you get your child to clean up toys?

meg1974

We're having major issues with mess in our house. Just about every day, the kids dump out all of their toys and make a huge mess in their rooms and the living room.

We've tried having rules like no toys in the kitchen (I'm tired of tripping over them when I cook). We've tried the Barney song about cleaning up. We've tried having them clean up every night (we help them). They do clean them up, but I would really like them to not make as much mess in the first place.  

What works for you? 

Brewtowngrl

I get out garbage bags.  

LSU628

DD knows that she can only take one thing out at a time. It helps that her school has the same rule. Sometimes she needs to be reminded, but I just ask her what toy she wants to play with now, and the rest need to be put away before she can resume playing.

Art Teacher

We try to get her to take out one thing at a time.

I have things organized in bins, so she can pull out one bin at a time.  I also have specific boxes or areas for her other toys so everything has a place.

I'm reading the book Love and Logic right now and it suggests giving kids a choice - either they can pick up their toys or you will, but if you pick them up they get put away in a closet.  Then they have to do a 'chore' or help you in some way to earn it back the next day.  I'm planning on starting that with our DD.

Linz-E

Brewtowngrl:

I get out garbage bags.  

Cant get a thumbs up on my Mac

Over here we clean up several times a day if were home. My friends were visiting a couple months ago and brought the "clean up" song into our house. Works like a charm but of course I have to help too.  

dande2129

He loves to vacuum, so we tell him that when he picks up/puts away all of his toys, then he can vacuum. 

I don't know how much longer that will last  

cmhicklin

DD is only allowed to get one thing out a time also. I got tired of spending an hour with her at the end of the day, trying to get stuff picked up. She is a slow poke, and I ended up doing most of it. One thing to put up at a time works better. Lately she wants to help with everything, so that makes picking up her toys easier.

saturdaynightdoubletree

LSU628:

DD knows that she can only take one thing out at a time. It helps that her school has the same rule. Sometimes she needs to be reminded, but I just ask her what toy she wants to play with now, and the rest need to be put away before she can resume playing.

This. I also put a kid proof handle on the closet door with a huge organizer inside, so she only has access to certain toys if she asks for them (mostly things with small pieces; ie. puzzles, pattern blocks, toy cars; and also things that make me crazy inside; ie ride on toys, balls, etc)

DS LOVES to clean up, so DD tries to trick him into helping. The kids know that we need to clean up our messes before going to the playground, watching a special show or movie, having a snack, etc. so this helps too. If we need to get out of the house and I don't have time to wait for them to clean, we leave the mess and address it as soon as we get home before moving on to the next thing.

llc730

Here are my techniques to keep the toy mess under control:

1. Keep things with small/lots of pieces put away and only hand out one at a time.

2. Sing the clean up song and do a quick pick up a couple times a day.

3. Anything that is not picked up when asked gets held for ransom (chores)

4. Rotate toys...With DD having a bday close to Christmas I learned to tuck things away and rotate other couple of months. Less toys out=less mess plus she gets excited about her "new" toys.

5. Relax and just embrace the fact that they are kids. As long as the mess is contained to their rooms/the playroom once a day cleaning is fine with me.  

BelhurstBride

I really don't care about messes as a by-product of playing so much as when they (DD and the boy I watch) empty baskets of toys just for the sake of emptying baskets of toys- and that's usually the boy who's doing it out of frustration for one thing or another. If they're dumping for the sake of dumping I interrupt their play and tell them they need to help me clean up. Then we usually take off to do something not fun. Like grocery shop or running errands. 

If they're legit playing and the mess just happens I deal. It's part of life with two toddlers in the house. They help me pick up before lunch and nap time.  

1026pumpkin

DS likes to help clean when we sing the clean up song.....we also make him stop and clean up the toys he's playing with before we move onto the next activity...I don't mind too much if he pulls everything out and makes a giant mess, but he knows we won't leave for the park (or get snack, or watch Elmo, or whatever) until we clean up the toys that are out.

karatechrissy

When I pull up the 'clean up' song on youtube my daughter goes apeshi* over it. She sings along and tells her brothers to help. She is 2 1/2 and loves to clean up only when I put the song on though! haha.

NewFamily09

If they can't clean up their toys, then they don't deserve to have them.  I consider toys to be a luxury not a necessity.  When my son (3 year old, not the 2 year old yet) refuses to clean up his toys I take whatever toys are out and put them in the garage.  Some people call it "toy jail."  I'll put them in the garage or high in our closet for a week or two.  When I tell my son to clean up, I usually set a timer andtell him that whatever toys are left on the floor when the bell rings will go into the garage.  I've only had to do it a few times, and he's getting much better.  Obviously, at this age, they can't work super fast, so I usually set it for 5 or 10 minutes depending on the mess.  And if his little brother helped make the mess, I'll help clean up a little, because little brother doesn't quite get it yet.  He's learning, but it would take years for him to help clean up toys at this age.

mommytoconnor

I've taught my son that if he is "all done" with this toy then he cleans up before going onto another.  This took awhile for him to catch onto, I still sometimes have to take him by the hand and pick up a toy with his hand in mine while singing "clean up clean up everybody everywhere"  .

chpswife

mommytoconnor:

I've taught my son that if he is "all done" with this toy then he cleans up before going onto another.  This took awhile for him to catch onto, I still sometimes have to take him by the hand and pick up a toy with his hand in mine while singing "clean up clean up everybody everywhere"  .

I'm in the midst of teaching my daughter this exactly. She's catching on 

hokiemel7

We also are trying to teach "one toy at a time" to help contain the crazy. My DD is really into "helping" right now so I try to use that language whenever I can and it seems to be doing the trick. If I start picking something up and ask if she can "Please help Mommy" (etc.) then she'll usually take over and get a high-five and praise. That's good enough of a reward for her

groovygrl

1. have a clean up race

2. reward or take away something special if it is or isn't done

3. use a timer

my kids stink at cleaning up & it is not something I have spent a lot of time on though... we need to work on it.  I do keep a lot of things out of reach (games & such w/ small pieces) and also if they want something tehy can't reach, they have to clean up or put away whatever is out to get it.