With a little guy as tall as three apples who only thinks about playing, the house can quickly become quite a mess! Toys pile up in every corner and are strewn everywhere like cabbages. So, of course, we say all the time that disordered people have a higher IQ… However, it is never pleasant to live in disorder, whereas a tidy home makes you more serene. So, it’s calming for the mind to sleep in a tidy room. In addition, tidying up is a good way to make him responsible and more independent. And above all, a child who puts away his toys will have less risk of finding them broken or losing them. For the whole family, this eliminates the risk of falls and the unbearable pain associated with walking on a Lego (ouch!). Here’s how to motivate him to clean his room!
Also find on the site our tips for getting children to listen to what we tell them, but also all the good techniques for getting them to eat vegetables.
1) Define precisely what tidy means
In general, unless you have an ultra minimalist spirit, you will never be able to have a lifeless catalog bedroom worthy of a Pinterest photo. In front of very young children, the idea of having a room without a toy sticking out is not very realistic… So, you have to know how to define what you mean by “tidying up”, because this term will remain too theoretical for a child who is going to put away his toys. Define what your concrete and precise expectations as well as what seems negotiable or intolerable to you. For example: nothing lying on the floor, no food in the room, dirty clothes in the dirty laundry basket, etc.
2) For a child to be able to put away their toys, the task must be appropriate for their age
Of course, storage must be adapted to the child’s size so that it is accessible and can facilitate storage. However, it is also necessary to give instructions adapted to his age ! So, be sure to give very simple and precise tasks for the little ones. Later, gradually make it more complex when it is well integrated.
- From 12 months, the child can be shown what putting away toys involves. Generally speaking, setting a good example will always be a good way to promote learning
- Around two years old, we can start to give him the choice: “Do you prefer to pick up books or dolls?“
- Then from the age of three, you can offer your help: “I put away the cars and you the stuffed animals or do you prefer cars?“
- For 4 year olds, you can give one instruction at a time: first put away the books for example, then something else.
3) Get him used to the rule 1 object in = 1 object out
First of all, you can accustom him to giving a toy that he no longer plays with to please someone younger than him as soon as he wants a new one. With this condition, you will avoid accumulation and you will avoid toys sleeping at the bottom of drawers. Plus, it will be rewarding for him! If he is only allowed to play with an object if he has taken the time to put away his other toys, the child will also be motivated to tidy up quickly.
4) Don’t take him by surprise!
Inform the child 15 to 30 minutes in advance that you will have to put away your toys before you can move on to the next activity. This way, he will have time to do it and prepare for it instead of being surprised by this order in the middle of fun and having to execute it fissa! It’s like going out: if he’s having fun at the park and suddenly you tell him you’re leaving, it will be very sudden and difficult to accept. Also, you can establish a routine so that he gets used to tidying up. For example, you can establish a day of tidying up Saturday or Sunday. Moreover, it can help you choose it. Finally, you can also implement a few minutes of daily tidying up before lunch or bedtime.
5) Invest it in storage
Often, a child likes to be able to decide and this also applies to putting away their toys and storage space! In fact, you can leave them choose storage boxesshelves, chests and/or lockers that he likes. Furthermore, the child can decorate them with designs that correspond to the toys to be stored in the different compartments. Often, he will prefer choose your organization with a little autonomy rather than everything being dictated to him. And once again, everything doesn’t have to be perfect and precise! If the ponies or little cars mix with the dolls and cuddly toys, and the books don’t make a perfect pile, it’s not a disaster… Besides, by deciding for himself, he will know how to do better without having you on the line. back.
6) Combine putting away toys with a game for your child
Sometimes, it doesn’t take much to make tidying up more fun! For example, the simple act of make music or from do a speed race can make this activity more fun. Besides, you can have a competition with your child to see who can tidy up the fastest. You assign him the cubes, you make the cars (or the opposite, he chooses) and you let him win! On the other hand, avoid doing it between children and brothers and sisters to avoid rivalries. But it will depend on their age and mentality! Otherwise you can give a time limit (or the time of a song) to tidy up. You can count the last seconds out loud!
Other examples to make tidying up fun:
- Put the dolls and stuffed animals to bed wishing them good night
- Play a role play where you are a mechanic and you park the cars in their parking lot
- Little ones will love combining the toys by shape or color. It’s up to them to hunt for square, round or red toys!
- Add chili pepper giving challenges : put away with just the right hand, as quickly as possible, while hopping, throw as high as possible into the box, etc.
- Make a treasure hunt with toys to find. The tidier the room, the easier the game will seem… A great lesson to understand the importance of tidying up!
Cleaning, maintenance… Also rediscover all the tips concerning our children’s toys