I will start off by saying my children do not 100% of the time naturally clean up their toys on their own. I will share with you though in this blog post how just the other day, my 1 and 2-year-old cleaned up their toys on their own without me prompting or asking.
My biggest tip.
Try to play with one or two “types” of toys at a time. For example. If we are playing in the kitchen set. We will continue to play in the kitchen set until they are done, then move onto playdough or something else. Starting this from the beginning is the easiest. Don’t worry though. You can implement this step at anytime or age.
To continue with that same example. If I notice they are done playing in the kitchen set and start to get out another toy. I stop them, acknowledge and confirm they are done playing in the kitchen set, then guide them in cleaning up the kitchen set before we get out another toy.
Their brains are focused on the other toy. So saying things like “Hey, before we get out the playdough, let’s clean up the kitchen set real quick first if you want to play with playdough”. I hardly ever get pushback. Continue to do this and eventually this will form into a habit for them. Hence, how the other day I walked into the room expecting the tell the girls to clean up before lunch and noticed they were placing their toys back where they belonged without me asking! Um, yeah. I promise it’ll pay off.
What if they have a playroom and independently play, leaving behind a BIG mess once they are done?
That’s okay. First off, independent play is great for their imaginations and should be encouraged.
This happens a lot with them. What I do is after they are all done playing. We ALWAYS clean up. Try not to leave the mess. This will give them the notion it’s okay to leave a mess without cleaning up after themselves.
Lastly, what if my child throws a tantrum and refuses to clean up?
Then, you wait until the tantrum is over. Acknowledge the feeling of your child not wanting to clean up. Explain to him/her why it is important to clean up after themself and take care of their toys. If your child still refuses to clean up before moving onto another toy, etc. Then, personally, I would change things up. I would not give in and give my child the item they want if they are refusing to clean up. Try taking them on a walk, get outside, give them a snack, something other than playtime. Then, re-attempt to have your child clean up their toys. Be flexible, always help them clean up. Do not just demand. We all know how that goes over with a toddler.
We sing the “clean up song” anytime we clean up. This will trigger in their brain eventually when you sing this that it’s time to clean up and makes it lighter/more fun. My 2-year-old will now sing this song on her own when cleaning up.
Other ways to make cleaning up more fun.
- Set a timer to see how quick you can clean up
- Sing a song or play fun music
- Reward system ( i.e after we clean this all up, it’s snack time)
Ways to make cleaning up easier for your kids.
- Make sure every toy has a home
- Give your child options (i.e. “Do you want to clean up the blocks or put away the books”?)
- Simplify their toys-this will make this entire strategy the easiest
- Help them clean up
- Be flexible and patient. They are just little kids, keep that in mind.
Not only is implementing cleaning up after themselves helpful for you and a win-win! It also instills in your child responsibility. Down the road, your child will be having a playdate at another child’s house and clean up after themselves. Just wait and see how impressed that other mom will be! lol.
Yes, this takes an extra step. But, I promise you will thank yourself later. It will eventually benefit you and your little one in the long run.
Please leave below any questions you might have in regards to getting your child to clean up after themselves.
