I have successfully (for the most part) taught Nathan how to clean up. For instance, remember how he loves to get into his diapers and toss them around the room? Well, he still does it. Only now, I tell him that the consequence of throwing his diapers all over the place is that he has to clean it all up. And he does. Well, sometimes I have to help by handing him a diaper or two, but he puts all the diapers back in their container. Once I was helping him stack the diapers into three rows, and the first and second rows were completed. As I was working on the third row, Nathan started taking diapers out of the first and second rows and stacked them into the third row. Conscientiousness is a virtue!
He’s also cleaning up his toys quite well. Sometimes he balks when it’s time to clean up, but he still puts his toys away, even with little tears in his eyes. I tell him he should be so proud of himself because I understand how hard it is to put things away when you still want to play with them. (Believe me, I quite vividly remember the feeling!) And he loves giving things to Mommy. When he picks up something he’s not supposed to play with, I say “Give it to Mommy, please,” and he’ll toddler over as fast as his little legs will go and dramatically thrust said object at me.
I am enjoying these little moments while I can. I hear it won’t be long before he’s back-talking and refusing to do anything I ask!
Clapping for every toy mine put in the box always worked for me…it got them excited and turned clean up into a game.
.-= SuziCate´s last blog ..Gateway To The Narrows =-.
I do that with Nathan, too! And it’s cute because every time he puts away a toy, he claps!