How young is too young?
My daughter is 14 months old now. I can’t believe how fast time has gone by.
One thing I’ve really been wondering lately is when should I start getting her to pick up after herself.
I know I can’t expect her to clean up her mess at 14 months of age, but I also know that it will be too late to try to start to get her to clean up when she’s 2 or 3.
My question is when did you start getting your child to clean up? How did you go about introducing them to cleaning? What kind of chores did you give them once they were a little older?
Thanks so much to Shannon for hosting this backwards Works for me Wednesday
Posted: October 2nd, 2007 under unlabled.
Comments
Comment from Mrs Pear
Time October 2, 2007 at 11:35 pm
At that age my daughter helped me wherever she could. We did things together that I felt I could expect her to start to learn and would be fun like putting toys in the basket together and sitting together while I fold cloths. I would also put her in her high chair to keep me company while I cooked so that she was learning and I was getting stuff done.
I would recommend letting her help you with simple tasks and seeing what she can do as all children are different. If you start now, by around 18 months it would be reasonable to expect her to follow the instruction of “Please put these toys in that basket.” with little help.
Comment from Capturing Today
Time October 2, 2007 at 11:51 pm
I have a daughter that is 23 months. She’s been helping since she could walk at about 10 months. Starting slowly, with little things like helping to put her toys away, helping mommy carry an item or two from the dryer for folding, helping turn down the bed, etc. Now, she is so eager to help whenever she can! She like to help dust, set the table, get the laundry out of the dryer, put it in the washer – it is so cute to see her wanting to participate in whatever I’m doing. Just remember that they can get overwhelmed easily and will still need you to do most of the work at that age – it is all training for the future!
Comment from Everychapter
Time October 2, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Oooo, good question. I’m so sorry I have no answers- but i’m glad you asked. I have a 16 month old and I’ve been wondering the same thing! I’ll be checking back.
Comment from Dawn
Time October 3, 2007 at 12:05 am
I think the key at that age is working *with* them to do any ‘chores’ you give them. I definitely started my kids around that age helping out, but IMO I think that is too young to actually expect them to do it on their own and be held responsible. If you’re dishes aren’t too breakable, unloading the dishwasher can be a good job around that age…I think my dd was just a little older when she started handing me things to put away.
Make it fun, sing a clean up song, turn it into a game. While you want to instill in them the concept of cleaning up after themselves early, you don’t want them to be thinking of it as a ‘chore’ or something hard and not fun.
Hope that helps a bit!
Comment from Lazy Organizer
Time October 3, 2007 at 1:41 am
The best way to teach her is to let her help you. Children love to work and play with their parents so take advantage of that. Let her help you with more and more of your chores as she gets older. It may slow down your day but you will be raising a competent little girl!
Comment from Amy @ Experience Imagination
Time October 3, 2007 at 2:21 am
I would also recommend that each toy have a specific place to go. In a few months or a year, your child will be absolutely fascinated with sorting. What better way to have her enjoy her cleaning task than to be able to sort her toys, putting each into its designated spot. (This works for types of toys to, such as keeping all of the teddy bears on one shelf and the puzzles in a particular bin, etc.) In addition, make cleaning part of the daily schedule. The more used to a clean space she is, the more likely she will want to keep it that way.
Also, get or make her a set of her own cleaning products. My daughter is eager to try anything that involves putting on rubber gloves. She was cleaning bathroom tiles the other day, all on her own initiative, simply because I was cleaning the rest of the bathroom and she got to put on gloves and use the spray bottle. If you use toxic chemicals, I would suggest giving her plain water or mixing up a vinegar solution to clean.
Comment from Peggie
Time October 3, 2007 at 7:03 am
I started very early. While I was picking up or cleaning up I would ask for help, and take their hand and show them. Yesterday Scout (at 10 months) spilled her drink. I gave her a cloth and showed her how to help me clean it up. She liked wiping and trying, of course at that age she did not get much, but it helped her learn.
When I am picking up the toys I tell her what I am doing and soon she is picking up and putting them back too. She may grab one I put back and pull back out, but she is starting to get the idea about cleaning up.
Comment from Peggie
Time October 3, 2007 at 9:48 am
Just a funny note on my comment, my mom said I wrote on the wall when I was young and she decided to make me clean it off so I would not do it again. I liked it so much and had so much fun cleaning I wrote more to clean off! So do be careful not to make some things too much fun!
Comment from barb
Time October 3, 2007 at 10:06 am
The wonderful thing about youngsters is they love and want to help. I remember when my kids were young they would grab the dish towel to dust for me. No, they didn’t get the job done to my liking but they were getting in the habit and enjoying it. I think what they enjoy most is the fact that they are doing what mommy or daddy is doing and it makes them feel big. So, back to your question…get down with your daughter and show her what picking up means and she will want to do what you do.
Comment from Princess Leia
Time October 3, 2007 at 10:48 am
Hey Jes!
First off, thanks for your comment on my blog! I was using generic, store-brand dish soap. I’m almost out, so I’ll get some Dawn next time and try again!
I’ve been wondering this too (your post) and decided that we’d make it part of our son’s bedtime routine (at least as often as I remember it and it’s not horribly inconvenient) to put away all of his toys. He’s 9-mo-old now, so he doesn’t help much (ok, he doesn’t help at all at this point and usually hinders the effort), but I figure that it’ll be a habit that he has when he gets to be older to always clean up before bed. Check back in a few years to see how well it works!
Comment from Tanya
Time October 3, 2007 at 1:11 pm
When my youngest was around 14 months we started singing the “clean up” song. it goes: clean up, clean up everybody everywhere, clean up, clean up everybody do your share. We’d sing it over and over and over again as we picked up the toys in the play room. At the time all they had to do was pick them up and put them in a bin, there was no organizing, just tidying. 
HTH!
Comment from Christy
Time October 3, 2007 at 3:19 pm
At that age I tried my best to get her to put things away. I considered it a victory if I handed her one toy and she took it to the basket. Now at 19 months she does much better. She also imitates. Sadly, I hate cleaning but am trying to do more in front of her. She loves to clean up her mess by wiping the table or floor with a cloth. I have to go back over it but I sure encourage her.
Comment from Mom2fur
Time October 3, 2007 at 4:34 pm
At this age, it should be more of a ‘game’ than chores. She’s a baby…babies aren’t supposed to work, LOL! And no, 2 or 3 won’t be too old to get her started. But right now, if she wants to help, let her. And that goes for anything she wants to help with. My little 2-year-old nephew just loves to help his mommy clear the table! You should see the proud look on his face as he carries (safe, nonbreakable) dishes into the kitchen!
If you are cleaning your little one’s room, have her toss toys in a basket and give her a big “YAY!” each time she does it. This will appeal to her ‘big girl’ side, LOL!
Comment from T with Honey
Time October 3, 2007 at 4:43 pm
If she can walk and carry her toys at the same time she is old enough to pick up after herself. I learned this by watching my daughter do it at day care. They were not allowed to start the next activity until they cleaned up the first one. For example, they had to put the dolls away before bringing out blocks. We started doing this at home and my floors have stayed fairly clutter free since then.
As for house cleaning, see if she would be interested in dusting. My 2.5 year old has been helping to dust the doors and wood trim along the floors on and off for a year now. Sometimes she could care less but every now and then she wants to help. We give her a Swiffer Duster and let her go!
Comment from Katherine
Time October 4, 2007 at 12:34 am
One of my son’s favorite activities is putting his “laundry” away after his bath every night. He carries his clothes from the bathroom floor and puts them in the hamper. We started having him help us do this before he could walk (he would drop them in as we walked by), and once he started walking, he started doing it on his own.
Comment from Emily
Time October 4, 2007 at 12:47 am
I highly, highly, highly recommend that if you want her to do it without fussing, you start NOW. One of the things we’ve been noticing with our 2.5 year old is that he will “help” without complaint and put things away with fussing IF he has been doing them for a long time. But if we start something new now, tantrums ensue. So if you want picking up toys to be routine, do start her now. She’ll have fun now and later it will just be “that thing we always do before Daddy comes home.”
Comment from Charlotte
Time October 2, 2007 at 11:30 pm
With my kids (when they got to be around your daughter’s age), I start very small. I have my year-and-a-half year old pick up her blocks, for instance, and help Mommy straighten the pillows before Daddy gets home (which she loves). It feels like a game to her now, but with my other kids, it eventually became a habit. Works for me:)