Childern house chores train

How to encourage kids to tidying up:

• Don't Redo Their Work

When a toddler is cleaning up, never re-do their work. We want them to be proud of it and to not think it's pointless for them to clean if they not doing it the way we want they to. 

Example: They LOVES vacuuming, but honestly they not that great at it yet. Instead of taking it from them and doing it properly, we'll wait until they done and then have a "mama turn". 

• If they Not "Helping"

We don't say, "help mama clean up" because then that implies that it's our job to clean up and they just helping.

• Focus on Intrinsic Motivation 

We resist saying "good job" as we clean up, and instead talk about how good it feels to have a tidy space. How nice the room looks and how it makes us feel happy to have everything put away nicely. We want them to be internally motivated, and not look to us for external validation (in all areas of life).

• Nap Time Me Time 

We try to only clean when they present. From a very young age (since birth) they should used to seeing us take care of our home. They are aware that the house doesn't get tidy by magic (Also-when they're napping, we want to sit down and relax... not cleaning up after them).

• Don't Force To Clean

don't tell them to clean up. When they older they'll have specific chores, but they only just turned 2. Instead we say, "it's tidy up time" And we start cleaning. Occasionally we say, "hmmm where does this go?" And see if they wants to grab it and put it away. If they doesn't, we just say "oh! It goes in the basket!". They very often joins in! We'd rather not force the issue and have it be something they resents doing.

• Narrate

Along with that, we find narrating when I'm cleaning very helpful. This can look like, "I'm putting the blocks back into the basket". It allows them to see and to focus on what I'm doing. They actually notices that I'm tidying and it's not just something happening in the background.

One of main parenting strategies is to "make your word as good as gold". 

So before we tell our toddler to do something, we make sure we actually mean it and we going to follow through if they doesn't.

So when we want my toddler to do something but it doesn't actually matter?

try to avoid telling them what to do.

How do we do this?

talk about yourself. Not about them.

"When I [...], I like to [...]"

Instead of this/Try this:

"Use your fork to eat spaghetti."

"When I eat spaghetti, I like to use my fork like this!"

"Walk slowly through the puddles so you don't get water in your shoes"

"When I walk through puddles I like to walk slowly, like this!

That way I don't get water in my shoes."

"Kick the soccer ball this way."

"When I kick the soccer ball, I like to do it like this."

"Hold the measuring cup like this."

"When I use the measuring cup, I like to do it like this"

They might try to do it the way we showing them

Or they might not, It's up to them. If they copies us, great

They more likely to because it's not a battle of wills.

And if they continues to do it their way? 

Who cares they'll figure out on they own eventually