Firespiral raises an intersesting point: a 3yo doesn't really perceive that when toys are lying around as a mess. They have a totally different take on it. To them it's just toys that are on the floor. They don't have a negative view of it because it doesn't bother them. I have to try really hard to make sure I don't guilt them out for having a different perspective. I know it seems like most days they make a mess just to "spite" me but they don't. Instead I hope to teach them that being tidy is not just an abstract concpet but has practical benefits that they can understand. When they lose something for example... this is a great opportunity to say "Hey, maybe next time we'll make sure we put it back in the right place so we don't lose it... it's awful when something gets lost isn't it?" In an ideal world i'll also have the patience to follow this through! LOL it all comes down to making it relevant to them at each stage of development.