Help! 2yr with a little attitude *a little long*

[Charlyfrog]

I have on an occasion or 100 taken my 3yr old by the hand and gently but firmly led her to each toy that needed to be picked up. We'd pick it up together and then take it to wear it 'lives'. Yes it's a long process but my thought process is that I am going to teach her that tidying up is a non-negotiable and the other non-negotiable is that she is going to be part of the tidying up, through tears and everything (we also began the cleaning up process/routine in her first year so its not a new thing to her, she's just being a toddler )

[RobynG]

I say relax it sounds like your doing a great job at teaching him to clean up. He is probably just trying to test the boundry and find out how serious you are about it. I'm just starting to get into the habit of teaching my DS to clean up after he is finished playing. Not easy. How old was yours when you started?

[morgan78]

RobynG - I started getting him to help with tidying up his toys around 12 months so its not like this is new to him.

I know its just being a toddler, but he is point blank refusing even being led to each one and told to pick it up isn't working. kinda frustrated with it but i know if i dont enforce this he thinks hes "won" and i believe if he can make the mess he can clean it up as well.

[paradise lost]

If it were me i'd follow through on the threat. Tomorrow you tell him if mummy has to tidy up then he won't get to play with them the next day. If he won't tidy up you put them all in a binliner and shove it in your room and wait and see how long he "doesn't care" when he's got NO toys all day. I would also avoid getting into a discussion about it. Tell him to tidy up. Tell him if he doesn't you will do it and the toys will be gone for a day. If he still doesn't then do as you said you would, don't re-threaten, it lets them know you're reluctant to follow through. Keep the toys away for a day no matter WHAT and the next day put them back and don't mention it.

When he DOES tody them up, even though he's been doing it for a year, make a massive fuss about it and make sure you tell DH when he gets in, while DS can hear, and have DH ham it up about how great he is too. If he doesn't do it just take the toys away, don't mention it or talk about it. That way negative behaviour begets no results.

It is hard, my DD is 2 in 2 weeks and she is constantly pushing the limits too. Today she refused to get in the buggy and as a result she had to walk all the way too and from the pool (about 2.5k). About 700m in she turned to me with her arms out "up mumma" and i said "No, if you won't get in the buggy you have to walk" and walk she did. Yes, it took about a YEAR to get home again, with her throwing wobblies every few yards and me saying "if you have energy to stamp your feet and yell, you have energy to walk, come on." but we made it and even if she's not more cooperative tomorrow, you know what, she had a 90minute nap and was falling asleep during her bedtime story - more peace for mummy!

Hang in there, it's a testing time!

Bx

[morgan78]

Hoobley - thats what i was thinking of doing - the toys are currently stuffed in the spare room and i was thinking of only giving them back one at a time as reward for good behaviour!

[paradise lost]

Good on you for following through! I know how hard it is when you think of how them being disciplined will affect your day too (like the possibility of me having to carry DD home, which i would have if she'd genuinely not been able to make it herself).

I'm not sure i'd give them back for good behaviour, in case it confuses the issue, kwim? Like is it about generally being naughty or not putting your toys away? Will he know they got taken away because he didn't tidy them, and if he does will it make sense that he has to be good to get them back? I think i'd just keep it really simple - don't tidy toys = don't get toys tomorrow. No complicating rules or factors, just that.

Not sure i'd mix it up at this stage, though you COULD implement a rule that anything he tidies up he gets tomorrow, so if he only puts one toy and one teddy away that's all there is tomorrow. That way how much effort he puts in DIRECTLY affects how many toys he has. Also did you tell him today that you would take them away for a day? If you told him and then you do it that teaches "mummy means what she says" but if you didn't warn him it might teach "mummy can be unpredictable"...?

Bx

[KatieRabbit]

I think it is a big task for a 2 year old! They learn by imitation and I think it is a bit much to expect a 2yr old to be responsible and clean up his toys. He does not understand cause/effect and actions and consequences. So taking his toys away the next day or even a few hours later is not going to 'teach' him anything- he won't even know why he doesn't have his toys anymore or why mummy has put them somewhere and he is in his cot. His actions (not reacting, shrugging shoulders, not caring) is proof of this. If he was 4 and wouldn't help, that would be different, but he is 2!! You are punishing him for something that he doesn't know is wrong. (If not putting toys away is considered 'wrong'!).