I feel like 80% of our housework that doesn't get done is picking up. Now that DD is almost 5, I want to start this as a chore. Usually its not big things (aka if she got out her blocks, we ask her to put them away and she understands). But if she carries a purse out of her room, it gets left. A trinket that comes home from school is left on the counter. I want to sweep it all up and throw it away! Any suggestions for getting her to better pick things up?
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Now that my kids are older I tell them "Put it away or it gets thrown away"
sometimes they say "throw it away" and sometimes they run quickly to put it away
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@Mamaof2: Do you end up saying that though 1,000 times over? She's good with picking up like a large pile of blocks, or even cleaning her room. Its all the little things that get left out that I dont think she even sees or I would have to ask 1,000 times for it to be picked up.
--Yes a lot does get swept into the trash!
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@T.H.O.U.: of course
That's parenting... repeating yourself for 18 years
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I try to focus on the fact that I shouldn't have to repeat myself, that actually seems to be working with my son.
If I ask him to clean up and he doesn't, he knows full well that I'll clean it up and he will lose it.
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@Mamaof2: same deal. I've actually taken DS's stuff and hidden it for a few days when he was going through a "dump it all on the floor" stage and would not help clean. I hated making him cry, but we have a small apartment and I could not deal with the mess. Now he knows I mean business. If he's only taken out a few toys, I'll pick them up myself, but he pitches in when I ask.
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If DD doesn't put help toys away, I take them and put them up for a while so she can't reach. She is 2.5, so I still do about 75% of the cleaning, but this method has made her realize that she needs to pitch in with tidying up her mess. Little trinkets that get left out and forgotten get trashed without me asking about it- we do not need five thousand party favors and random stickers from Target.
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How about asking her to hunt through a specific room for everything that is hers (like an Easter egg hunt!) and to out it all away. Then go through the room with a laundry basket and collect what is left and show it to her. Then maybe she owes you a minute of dusting per item to get them back. Or whatever chore, or not. Just building the awareness will help. If she is resistant after a while she could just not get to have those things for a day, but I wouldn't begin punitively. If she "beats you at the game" and you don't find anything maybe she gets a treat or you have to do a silly dance or something.
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By 5 at school or daycare, they'll already know clean up is a routine. Other posters made great suggestions.
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Ok I have no advice but a similar problem and I will use some of the tips posters suggested but I just wanted to tell a little related story. Yesterday I told LO to pick up 6 things (everything that was on her bedroom floor) and then she could come join me in the other room.
LO: Ok, I'm done.
Me: Did you pick all six things up?
LO: Yep!!
Me: Did you put it all away where it is supposed to be?
LO: Uhhhh, no.
Me: Where are the six things?
LO: On my bed....so I could count out six.
Moral of the story: Don't just Pick Up...Put it where it belongs too! -
I've have this same problem with my husband!
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I think the strategy for picking up is going to depend on what your objective is.
If you just want the trinkets out of the way then maybe get a little basket for her and she needs to go around and put all her little trinkets in the basket x times a day. And she can keep them in her basket until it's time to toss them or donate them.
If you want these things cleaned up and put away in an organized way then I think it's the parent's job to find a home for the items so the child knows where it belongs. I really believe a clean playroom only happens if it's organized by the parents in a way that makes it easy for the child to understand where things go and how to put things back in the right place
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i have this problem as an adult! I constantly just set down small items because they don't have a designated spot and then there's clutter everywhere. I have small trinket buckets in each room to help me deal with it. She or you can sweep things in the bucket and then have a designated time to put all the little bits where they belong or toss them (I do it Saturday's but you could do it nightly). If she doesn't want to put the items away, you can tell her you'll toss them/donate them if she doesn't want them.
I also try to create spots for everything. I made some picture labels for shelves/buckets of what belongs where for my son's room and only leave out the items that have a spot. It's easier for him to tidy up if he knows exactly where to put things & nothing else is taking up that spot. Then if he won't clean up, I tell him Ill clean up for him but it goes in the garage since he's not old enough to play with it (cleaning up is part of playing!) -
@Cherrybee: Lol, my thought exactly. Had this issue with former roommates too. And with other adults, you can't exactly threaten to trash/hide their stuff
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