Getting the DC to tidy up after themselves

[whoseideawasthepuppy]

I am on the hunt for advice as to how to get my 2 DC to tidy up after themselves........ I know - me and the rest of the world, but any top tips?

I am expecting number 3 in a few months and realise that all good practices need to begin now. DD1 is 3.5 and DD2 is 22 months so any age appropriate advice is most welcome.

The way it works in schools and nursery is all down to appropriatestorage space and everything having a place to go back to. Colour photos on the front of the box or basket help children match the item correctly.
Plus they often have a tidying up piece of music that they put on to set the mood and the pace, more fun and less nagging.
Above all be consistent, don't leave it for a fortnight and then expect them to remember. A bit of tidying up every day will make it part of the routine.

I am marking my place. Was saying this to dh. Our house is in such a mess. They take out one toy play with it for less than 5 mins then get something else out. I am also expecting dc3 and don't have the energy to tidy up after them any more. Ds1 is 3 and ds2 is 2.

DS is just turned 3 but has always helped me clean up. Make it into something fun and a bit of a race.

Don't expect them to do it alone especially not at first, and it will probably take 10 times longer than if you did it alone!

Encourage tidying as you go along "let's put away the trains before getting the blocks out" type of thing do its not a big job.

I agree with being consistent.

Liking the idea of photos on the outside of boxes. I need to be more consistent rather than rant occasionally too and get down on my knees with them and give them tasks.
I know we should tidy a bit as we go along but I guess my issue is I like to leave them to play whilst I get on with stuff and then am of course horrified by the state of the room 20 mins later!

Def need photos and a set place for things - I noticed it helped lots today whenDS1 was putting away toys while I bf'd DS2.

I try to get DS to think about it rather than just do what I say. So I say, "What can you see on the floor? Does it belong there? Where should it go?

YY to consistency - I struggle with this myself.

Ours are a little bit older, and generally fairly resistant to tidying up, but before they came up to bed I told them that they each needed to bring up a toy/book etc for each year of their life, so 7, 5 and 3 respectively. Might not sound like much, but 15 fewer toys/ books for me to sort out.

ds likes doing 'art attacks' which seem to involve getting as many clothes as possible and spreading them out. I now use this to help move the washing to the washing machine. He is now only allowed to do it in the kitchen and when he finds dh's a pair of socks on the sofa he begs to go and art attack them, how can I refuse? Making it fun is the way to go, am sure photos would help but I'm too lazy!