clearing up toys - does your toddler help

[coolbeans]

What age do you think it's reasonable for a little one to put away their toys, (with or without help)?

My ds (2.5) just looks at me blankly when I say (over) cheerily, "time to put everything away", and then wanders off to kick the cat, (well, not really but YKWIM).

I try to lead by example and suggest we do it together and show him what to do, but it's not really working at the moment, or am I expecting too much?

My 2 ages 2&3 both help.
I set the kitchen buzzerfor 3 minutes when I dish up lunch and dinner( allowing food to cool to toddler temp) and we play tidy up before the buzzer goes.

I find it prepares them for lunch and means they tend to play with different toys in the afternoon.

no the ealier you start this the easier it will become a two and half year old is more than capable of putting a few blocks into box, my four year old has been expected to help tidsy away toys since about two and it is finally begining to sink in. she still doesnt like it much and sometimes i even "no why should i tidy up my things you do it!"

but other times she happily puts away what she is not playing with without even being asked

my ds started to help efore he was 2 i had a habit if we were finished playing with something we would put it away and get next out but id ask in a fun way ok lets put these ones away and we can play next game or whatever it was

he has just always helped me if i ask him

before

the boys have always been encouraged to help.
we have got a routine with DS1 (4)'s bedroom he tidies it properly on a Sunday and Wednesday night, other nights things are cleared off the floor (so we can get to him without breaking our necks in the middle of the night)
DS2 (21mth)helps a little but is often more of a hinderance. I still ask though

I am just starting this with DD 21m. She has put her shoes away for ages - she copies DP and I. She just tiedied dolly away before tea, she put her Dolly shes under the stairs next to ours

I think I will persevere with the making it a game, I think part of playing is tidying afterwards. I also think that making cleaning in general part of their lives should make things easier as they grow up. ie DD has a cloth she "cleans" with, she dusted the skirting boards recently much to my delight

I think the excited voice is the way to go. I seem to speak in that tome most of the day now - but it works!

my 2.4yo helps (we do it together, I do more but he has to do some), and my 5.8yo is expected to put away his own things.

I always got the children in my 1-2 room to tidy up - lots of praise definitley helps.

My 2 year old boy doesn't like to put his toys away, probably because it means that the game is over.

He cooperates when I make a game out of it, who puts away more toys wins.

I think the timer is also a good idea. I 've never tried though.

coolbeans - my dd helps me put a couple of things away and then while I finish goes and tips other stuff all over the floor - I'm just going to persevere until hopefully it will click! (shes 2.3 btw)

DD1 is now 3 and it's taken a while to get her to co-operate in tidying up although it's always been something she's supposed to do / asked to do. I find it is very important to be specific - i.e. please will you put those crayons back in the drawer then pick up the book and put it on the shelf etc etc. If I just ask her to 'help' it's useless. DD2 is 1 and does everything DD1 does, so generally she actually does more tidying as carried on where DD1 stops!

Thanks guys - that's good to know. Sounds as though I just have to keep perservering.
I'll be a bit more specific about what I ask him to do and also turn it into more of a game.

I'll keep up the enthusiastic voice as well, though TBH, sometimes I scare myself: "Let's put the BRICKS in the BAG, little cb. Yay!!! Good Job!!!!"

I sound like a demented cheerleader. On crack.

DD2 at 2.8 is loads better at tidying away than dd1 (5)! We sing the tidy up song "tidy up, put away, ready for another day" and if she's a bit reluctant I challenge her to a race to see if she can put away the toys faster than me!

My 19 month old will 'help' but if you ask her to put something back in the box, something else always comes out at the same time

Hi,

from a young age i introduced 'Tidy up time', to my children. At first i made it a part of the playtime eg racing to see who could put the most away or teaching counting with them as they put it all away. My children now count tidying away as part of having fun lol and it only takes my telling them that its tidy up time to get it all put away.

Ds1 (2.1) loves tidying toys away. Also 'helping' to put away shopping, emptying the dishwasher etc. Things don't always end up in quite the right place, but he gets very upset if I try to do these things without him.

My 4.5 year old tidies, but I help. Sometimes she'll do it on her own without prompting now, its paying off!

My 1.5 yr old loves helping chuck things back in a box - right age for 'putting things in things' so I'm making the most of it

I wouldn't have expected my 1st to do much until he was nearly 3, but 2nd child at 20 months has prooved quite good at putting things back in a box. They're generally best if we do it together so one does cars, one books and one play food (or whatever). I'm anal about boxes for different types of toys which maybe helps.

DS is 20 months (nearly) and he helps to tidy up, with differing results each time!