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Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Behaviour/development

How do I stop DS2 emptying the contents of his drawers all over his bedroom floor?

63 replies

Pinkchampagne · 06/09/2007 21:10

He is four years old, and takes it upon himself to change his outfit, but on doing this he pulls the contents of his drawers all over the bedroom floor!
I have told him he must not do this, and I always make him tidy the clothes away, but he doesn't do a great job, which leads to more work for me.

While they were at my mum's house after school today, I sorted through their drawers as they had got all the clothes so mixed up.

I put DS2 to bed tonight, and when I went up to check him 10 minutes later, he had decided to change his pyjamas & emptied the bottom two drawers all over the floor while searching for the right pair! I could have cried after spending so long sorting the drawers out this afternoon, and I got quite cross with him.
How do I put a stop to this?

OP posts:

Report

Donk · 06/09/2007 21:10

I don't know - but if you find out please let me know......

Pinkchampagne · 06/09/2007 21:11

Oh dear, do you have the same problem?!

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Pinkchampagne · 06/09/2007 21:15

He is doing it all the time.
My mum came round the other day & was shocked when she went up to his room because it was a sea of clothes!

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Kaloo20 · 06/09/2007 21:16

put childproof catches on the drawers

sparklygothkat · 06/09/2007 21:17

dd2 used to do this, she did stop a few months back, she is 5

BandofMothers · 06/09/2007 21:18

Would he listen to you if you told him he was only allowed in one draw??

Perhaps if you assign him one draw and always put in one spare outfit then it will save him emptying them all. If not drawer locks on all but that one????

Pinkchampagne · 06/09/2007 21:18

Hadn't thought of childproof catches - that's a good idea!
SGK - it's a nightmare isn't it?

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Elk · 06/09/2007 21:20

My 4.6 year old dd does this as well (except she doesn't change clothes she just gets naked). Add it to the toys and clothes 21 month old dd2 throws everywhere and dd1's playmobil and we have toy/clothes soup.

So any solutions gratefully received here as well.

sparklygothkat · 06/09/2007 21:21

At one point I actually removed all the clothes and toys out of her room..

Pinkchampagne · 06/09/2007 21:21

I had told him not to go in the drawers at all, but to ask me if he wanted something out of there, but he has taken no notice there!
Could try to keep one drawer with very few outfits in, but they have so many clothes & I don't know where I would put them all!

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Pinkchampagne · 06/09/2007 21:22

Did you remove the drawers totally, SGK?

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myjobismum · 06/09/2007 21:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sparklygothkat · 06/09/2007 21:24

I just removed the clothes and toys. She still has moments when lots of clothes will find their way onto the floor, but she is better.
I lost count of the amount of times I would go upstairs and find her asleep on a huge pile of clothes

Pinkchampagne · 06/09/2007 21:32

I am pleased to hear I'm not alone with this one!!

I must say, i have been so fed up that I have been tempted to remove all clothes from his bedroom & keep them in my room!

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pesto1 · 07/09/2007 07:54

my dd did this when i moved her into a bed.
i turned the chest od drawers round, so the drawers faced the wall! no way she could get in then!

ive just turned them the right way round again ( about a month later) and shes not touched them once...... might be worth a try!

annoyingdevil · 07/09/2007 09:53

If you find out, let me know! My 2 yr old has just 'taught' her 13 mth old brother how to empty drawers. So now I have 2 of them at it

SleeplessInTheStaceym11House · 07/09/2007 09:58

pesto, how did you get in te drawers

my dd never did naything like this but at 10months ds is having a bloody good go!

Pinkchampagne · 07/09/2007 16:38

I was wondering how you would get in the drawers too!

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Tortington · 07/09/2007 16:46

buy yourself a magazine and make yourself a brew.

sit on his bed until he cleans it up

they get the idea after a while

Pinkchampagne · 07/09/2007 16:58

I have started to stay in his room watching him tidy now, custy (not tried it with the mag & the brew yet though!), because if I leave the room & come back up 10 mins or so later, he does nothing at all!

He often pretends to be tired, ill, or suddenly starts crying for daddy to try to get out of the tidying, but I am wise to him now!

I stand in the room until he has put all the bits away, and if he stuffs them under the bed (another one of his tricks) or in his book shelf, I pull them out & make him start again!
It's all very wearing, and I do hope all this tidying up is soon going to make him think twice before pulling everything out!

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Tortington · 07/09/2007 17:24

woo hoo result!

Pinkchampagne · 07/09/2007 17:41

Do you think that if I constantly make him tidy the clothes (which he hates doing), he will eventually stop pulling them all out?

I do hope he gets over this phase soon!

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Anna8888 · 07/09/2007 17:42

At four a little boy is totally incapable of folding clothes, managing piles of folded clothes etc.

I think it is brilliant that he can change his own outfit.

All my children (DSS12, DSS10, DD2.10) have rails/hooks in their bedrooms for easy clothes' access and no mess

Pinkchampagne · 07/09/2007 17:47

I don't expect him to fold them, just put them away after throwing them all over the floor! (I then go in ater & try to sort them, but it is getting very wearing)

I think it's great that he gets himself dressed, but he decides he is changing his outfit countless times a day, without letting me know, and this is when he empties out his drawers to find exactually what he fancies!

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Pinkchampagne · 07/09/2007 17:48

They also have a wardrobe, but this is in my room

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