Name: Teach Them Diligently (Pigeon Forge)
Start: 2025-05-08T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-10T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Pigeon Forge, TN

Tagged: Early Years, habits

This topic has 9 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 6 months ago by missceegee.

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

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September 15, 2011 at 4:51 pm
dmccall3
Participant
Okay one more specific question. Do you have your kids put the toy they’re playing with away before getting the next one out so that only one thing is out at a time…or do you have a set time or times to pick up everything they’ve gotten out…or something else? I know in preschools it’s one toy out at a time but it seems unrealistic to me in a home setting and seems to prevent putting tpys together which seems to make play more creative. But I could be way off there! Thoughts?
September 15, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Sue
Participant
It is definitely a creativity issue for us, so often multiple toys are played with at the same time. But that’s the key: I tell them if I see them playing with certain items but the previous toys are sitting out unattended, they may be confiscated and not returned for a period of time.
September 15, 2011 at 5:24 pm
dmccall3
Participant
Wow. And do you think this is a reasonable requirement for a 3 year old? I guess it will take some training at first? I’m not even sure how to go about teaching this habit…
September 15, 2011 at 5:26 pm
sheraz
Participant
I try to let them play creatively, but too much out and no one can play. We do (try) to pick it up and put away before dinner/bedtime to allow different activities to take place in the same space – small house, big family. =)
September 15, 2011 at 5:53 pm
missingtheshire
Member
I allowed them to be very creative and independent in their play – it encouraged them to use their imaginations which they did wonderfully. At the end of a morning play session, or afternoon session, we would play a game and see who could put toys away the fastest and the neatest. So they would have quite a few things out, but they would then interact with all of it in one way or another and found endless ways to amuse themselves. To this day they are excellent at amusing themselves and coming up with things to do and are also good at being on their own and doing things by themselves. I never stifled creativity and I am glad I didn’t:))
September 15, 2011 at 5:59 pm
suzukimom
Participant
I’ve never been able to see how to train your kids to do that (especially with 4!). My kids are supposed to clean up their room in the morning, and also before bed…. (which if done makes morning cleanup really easy.) That said, we are having battles over it and anything else chore related right now…. for days.
September 15, 2011 at 6:40 pm
LindseyD
Participant
At 6 and 7, our children still are not “masters” at playtime clean-up. I definitely don’t want to stand over my children the entire time they’re playing and keep count of how many toys are out, which ones are being played with, and which are being neglected. The children play for however long they are able to stay occupied, have fun, and not argue. As soon as I can see a play period wrapping up (or if an argument ensues at any time), I say, “Ok, time to clean up now!” in a cheerful, encouraging voice.
They are then expected to do a good job of picking up and putting away whatever was taken out. At that point, toys are confiscated if not put away properly.
Yesterday, dd6 put on 3 different dress-up dresses. Sometimes she will hang one up before putting on another; sometimes she won’t. As long as the mess is cleaned up when playtime is over, I’m ok with either option. Many times the children will get one set of toys out (like PlayMobile, for example), play with those a while, then get some stuffed animals out and play with those a while. Before long, they go back to the PlayMobile and combine the toys to play with them all together. That, to me, is their imaginations at work, so I would not want to hover over them and stifle that. Just my opinion…
Blessings,
Lindsey
September 15, 2011 at 7:29 pm
my3boys
Participant
I can ditto what Lindsey said almost exactly…except we don’t have girls, but we do have dress up 🙂
September 15, 2011 at 8:33 pm
thepinkballerina
Participant
Our girls are 8, 6, and 4. They can get out different toys in the play room for creativity, but if they are playing say Polly Pockets then after some time decide they are done and want to play a different toy then they are expected to pick up the PPs. It makes clean up time less stressful for all. I think it helps to have a place for every toy so even a 3 year old knows where to put them when finished. And of course a 3 year old needs helpful reminders to put the play doh away before you get out puzzles. Sometimes my girls will have out every stuffed animal, blanket, book etc in the room and I reiterate at clean uptime to put everything in its place. Sometimes I say it should look better than how you found it. And they r so proud when the reorganize everything!
September 15, 2011 at 9:05 pm
missceegee
Participant
We allow more than one thing, if it’s being used together creatively. Blocks and toy animals. Little People and legos. We’ll even let a huge block creation stay up for days, if it’s being played with, but not just for posterity’s sake. Also, puzzles and board games must be put away immediately. I cannot stand finding missing pieces to puzzles and games and will simply throw them out.
We pick up 3 times per day – bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs before breakfast, living areas before going outside and again before bed.