Table of contents:
- The right way to teach children to tidy up toys
- 1. Instill the importance of tidying up toys
- 2. Tidy up toys in the afternoon
- 3. Being a flexible parent
- 4. Makes tidying up fun
- 5. Tidy up the toys one by one
- 6. Provide a storage area for each toy
- 7. Praising the child for his work
Of course it's nice, seeing children having fun playing with their toys. New problems arise when your little one has finished playing, but doesn't want to tidy up his toys. Fortunately, there are a few tips you can do to teach children to independently tidy up toys.
Tidying up toys is one of the habits that need to be instilled in the baby from preschool age. Apart from teaching responsibility, this activity is also useful for supporting children's development and training them to solve problems.
Then, what are the tips that mothers and fathers need to do?
The right way to teach children to tidy up toys
Teaching children to clean up is not easy. Therefore, you need to make your little one understand the importance of tidying up toys and make this activity fun. In this way, children will gradually carry out their responsibilities independently.
As a first step, here are some tips you can do:
1. Instill the importance of tidying up toys
Children basically don't like tidying up. If children do not understand the importance of tidying up toys, they will not be motivated to do so.
So, before you teach children to tidy up toys, try to instill the importance of this activity first.
For example, tell your child that other people can slip if the toys are messed up. Or, say that a toy that is not tidied up can disappear and become less fun to play with.
Look for the reasons that are most relevant to your child.
2. Tidy up toys in the afternoon
Children, especially toddlers, will quickly get bored if they have to tidy up their toys every time they finish playing.
Therefore, try to invite your child to clean up his toys in the afternoon when he really doesn't want to play anymore.
Make this a daily routine so that your child gets used to tidying up his toys. The habits that have been carried out since childhood will make an impression over time.
When the child is old enough, he will have the awareness to tidy up his own toys.
3. Being a flexible parent
If your child comes up with something that is complicated and doesn't finish until clean-up time, tell him to finish it tomorrow.
As much as possible, don't let the children set their own playtime, but still respect their desire to keep the unfinished toys.
Provide a place to store the toys that will be finished tomorrow, then invite the children to tidy up the toys together. This step will teach children responsibility without limiting their developing creativity.
4. Makes tidying up fun
There are many things that can make cleaning up fun. If your little one likes music and singing, try inviting him to tidy up his toys while tuning his favorite songs. Or better yet, make up a tune for the two of you.
Apart from that, you can also turn this activity into a game. Set your cell phone alarm for 15 minutes, then invite him to quickly tidy up the toy until the alarm sounds. Children will certainly tidy up their toys with gusto.
5. Tidy up the toys one by one
As reported by the page Growing Health Minds, children are more easily distracted when they have to do large tasks.
So you need to break down the large chores of the child into smaller tasks, for example by tidying up one toy at a time. To start with, give easy tasks first, such as putting blocks into boxes.
Meanwhile, you can tidy up the pieces puzzle or some other, more complicated toy. You can adjust the child's assignments according to their age development.
6. Provide a storage area for each toy
When tidying up toys with children, make sure there is storage space for each toy that they have. The reason is, your little one will actually be confused if there is no adequate place so that the toys are only stored in the corner of the room.
Provide a variety of storage places such as baskets, short shelves, or play boxes.
Toy boxes can be dangerous at times, so choose a box without sharp corners. Make sure the box is smaller than the child's body so that the child doesn't get into it.
7. Praising the child for his work
After children tidy up their toys, don't forget to praise their work. Tell your little one that the room looks neat and nice. This will make him feel good and motivate him to clean his toys again.
Want to appreciate your child's work more creatively? Try making a schedule for tidying up toys on a piece of cardboard, then sticking stickers as your little one finishes tidying up the toys. Get him to put the stickers together to make him even more excited.
Tidying up toys may be a simple task, but parents need a few tricks to teach them to children.
Practicing these good habits is not easy, but if parents are routine and patient, your little one will gradually understand their responsibilities.
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