Cleaning up the toys with your baby can be a fun experience when there is clear guidance and easy-to-follow steps. To help your baby and you have a good experience with cleaning up the toys, remember to 1) have a cleanup song, 2) give clear guidance, 3) take it step by step and 4) have a goal in mind.
Getting Ready: Cleaning Up the Toys
It’s an important skill for a baby to learn to clean up their toys. Unlike their meals or changing their diapers, cleaning up the toys is achievable and will help them learn responsibility even at their age. And unless your baby or toddler feels unusually cranky and fussy, this is something they will learn to enjoy. As babies age, they get to a point when they want to help with things around the house. Taking advantage of this phase is important to help them feel included and enjoy the process. Giving them positive feedback when helping or even attempting to help will go a long way once they get older. They will eventually learn to do these things independently.
We’re All in This Together
Make your cleaning-up process a joining activity—the more people in your house helping, the better. Babies and toddlers love to feel like they are an equal part of the family in whatever way they can. One of the best ways for them to feel this inclusion is by doing something achievable, like cleaning up toys. We have a toy bin in each room in our house to help make the cleanup process more accessible. If each toy has a home or a place where it belongs when it’s not being used, that also helps.
A Cleanup Song
One of the best ways to make cleaning up the toys enjoyable is to play a cleanup song. You can even do this when you announce it’s time to clean up. This will help the baby shift their mindset from playing to cleaning and signal to their brain that playtime is over and it’s time to transition to clean up.
The key is that we can make cleaning up almost like a game. It’s a game to find where everything goes, and having a fun song to sing along to while we do it is excellent!
Giving Clear Guidance
Here is some language that we use while we’re cleaning up together to make it easy and enjoyable:
-Hey buddy, it’s time to clean up. Do you want to clean up together?
If our toddler says no, even with the cleanup song playing, start cleaning up yourself. Then, invite them again after you’ve put away a few toys. If they still don’t want to clean up, consider letting them know that it’s now time to clean up and that playtime is over.
Other helpful language that we use is giving plenty of positive input along the way:
-Wow, you’re doing a great job!
-I love the way that you’re cleaning up so well!
-Go (name)! (Make up your song if you need to. We can’t have too many songs)
Don’t forget to also guide along the way. Gently them know if something is misplaced:
-Oh! I think that goes in here, buddy. Love you! And thank you!
Taking it Step by Step
Remember to give yourself plenty of time to clean up. You may need to stop several times to provide instructions or positive input. Instead of rushing to get to a bath and bedtime or leave the house, give yourself ten minutes or more to clean up what you need to, which will give you more breathing room. It will also help you to prepare for unexpected outcomes.
Finishing Up
When you’re almost finished, let your baby or toddler know that you’re getting close to being done cleaning up and give more positive input. This will help your baby to make that final push if they are tired or don’t feel like cleaning up. This will help prevent them from becoming distracted and moving on to something else, like a different room.
Have some excitement in your voice when you tell them that you’re almost finished, and they will likely reflect the same attitude. Of course, anything from teething to tiredness can affect this, but we are surprised to find how often a positive attitude is reflected when none of those other factors occur.
Good content and Good Idea
Thanks so much!