Starting at a young age, I did the "clean up game" with my daughter. When my son arrived almost a year ago, I got sloppy. I didn't have the energy to get my daughter to clean up, so I just cleaned up after the kids were in bed.
A few weeks ago I decided it was time to reinstate my daughter's responsibility again, but I have a question: she is only 2.5, very precious, but only 2.5. Does she still need my assistance to remain focused? At what age can they clean up a large playroom without getting distracted?
I can't even clean up a large room without being distracted and I'm 43!. :D I wouldn't expect any of my kids to be able to do it.
I would give very specific directions. Here's the bin for your legos, put all the legos in here! Then take a quick break and move on to dolls or whatever.
I'm hoping to be able to clean up without distraction when I turn 46. For a 2.5 year old you will need to help her and do it with her. It helps to teach her to put a toy away before taking a new one out. If she goes to daycare, she is probably already used to this and it should be pretty easy once she realized it is the same at home. It works much better to keep the whole thing a game rather than a fight. This way it's a win/win -if it becomes a power struggle it will be a lose/lose.
Good luck,
D.
Um.... my 15 yo can't clean up her room without getting distracted!! haha
Clean up takes a long time to instill.
Have her put away the stuffies, then pick up the Duplos, then crayons or whatever. By having her do it in small amounts the whole room does not become too overwhelming.
2.5 is way too young to do it herself. Until she is 5 or 6 she won't grasp "Clean up this room!"
I also go in and help my 9 yo when his room becomes too much of a pigsty. Though, he can make it presentable.
I would start the clean up game again but you need to participate. We have a clean up song...now my daughter is almost 3.5 and she will sing it herself and start to clean up if we tell her to. Our son just turned 2...he will only put away specific things when asked and does lose focus. We try to keep with the put 1 toy away, get another out and same with books...most of the time. Sometimes we get sloppy and then the place is a disaster....but, that is the general plan for us. Good luck!
I stay on my kids not to take out another toy unless they picked up the other one they were playing with first so the mess stays under control. Then when its clean up time at night my 9 year old will go clean up on his own but our 3 yr old needs little tasks like "clean up all the cars" then maybe "now lets put the books away" etc He will do it its just easy to get distracted and overwhelmed so we break it down for him.
She still needs encouragment and help sometimes. A whole room is a lot to concentrate on for a little girl. My little girl (3 in January) is learning to clean up when she is done with a toy. She is not supposed to play with a new one until other is cleaned up. It doesn't always work, but we try. WHen teh room does get out of hand, I walk in and ask her to put away "X", if she refuses I tell her that if she does not clean it, then Mommy will and then Mommy will take it away. That always works.
Good luck!
