How to avoid messes with a toddler?
December 11th, 2009 Posted by: admin
I need some serious advice about how to deal with my toddler’s messes! I no sooner mop the floor and she spills something on it again. I feed her in a high chair still but she has developed a habit of tossing food that she doesn’t want onto the floor. I have a small swivel sweeper vacuum that works well for that but my problem is that lately she drags toys and everything else into the kitchen as well as into our master bedroom and even the bathroom! The way I have been dealing with it so far is by shutting the door to the room to keep her out if I want it neat but I can’t shut doors forever. Please give me some tips of how I can keep the kitchen floors and carpets from getting stained and toys under control. I normally don’t mind it but recently she has been really messy and also discovered how to access the garbage can. I got so upset today that I put a baby gate on the kitchen so she can’t enter it now! Don’t mean to sound picky but need help, thanks in advance!
To Doodlebug:
Firstly I don’t appreciate your confrontational approach. I am not a child I AM THE MOTHER here and simply seeking helpful tips rather than criticisms.
Secondly my daughter is too little to understand the concept of picking up toys. She is only 14 months old and doesn’t respond yet to commands. I suggest you learn a few things about small toddlers before you act so rude!
Furthermore whether or not a splat mat or regular tile floor is beneath it, it is a sticky yucky mess and I guess I am super picky but even that bothers me and I just wanted some tips of how I can clean it quickly rather than having to drag out the mop every single meal. Some of you people are so insulting here and implying that I am some kind of sloppy person and my house probably looks like a museum compared to you (aside from the toys).
By: Somebody’sMother
Tags: Doors, High Chair, Kitchen Floors
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December 13th, 2009 at 17:51
you just have to get angry and let her cry. If she does it again, take the toys away. I would tap her hands if she throws food on the floor.
December 15th, 2009 at 17:07
There isn’t one toddler that won’t make a mess. Patience mom-things will get better!
December 17th, 2009 at 02:08
That’s what a toddler does… You need to get her involved in cleaning up. Make it a game — “I’m gonna pick up ____ faster than you” or you name a toy and have her find it. As for the messes - that comes with children. Eventually it does get better. Until then consider a “Splat Mat” or a cheap plastic table cloth from the dollor store and stock up on Resolve.
December 20th, 2009 at 09:11
I have our house gated off at the hallway down to my older kids’ rooms and the bathroom and also the doorway to our room. The only place that my 17 month old can get to is the living room and kitchen. There is nothing wrong with trying to keep your little one out of a certain room. The problem with the food out of the high chair, try cutting a garbage bag so its really big and put it underneath the chair. That way when it is time to clean the food up that she has thrown, just pick the bag up and take it to the trash can and dump it in there. As for the toys, I have no idea. My little one keeps taking all of the containers we have them in and dumping them out. Even if I just get done picking them up, he will come right behind me and do it again.
December 23rd, 2009 at 08:00
Are you talking food messes here or regular toys all over the place messes?
If you’re talking food messes then the blame is on you….I don’t mean to sound rude, so please, don’t take it that way. YOU need to make sure she doesn’t have food or drinks in areas where there is no hard floor surface. If you sit her in the high chair to eat, then put an old shower curtain under the high chair. That way, when the food goes over the side, it will land on the shower curtain and not on the floor. You can either shake out the shower curtain or wash it in the washer.
Now, if you’re talking about regular toys all over the place messes, then YOU once again have to have some rules about these toys, how much she can play with at a time and where she can play with them…I know I used to have my kids put away the toys they were done with BEFORE they were allowed to take anything else out to play with. It took a few times, but after physically going through the motions of picking up the toys and putting them back in the toy box and having THE CHILD DO IT, they got the message. Sometimes I would make a game out of it….like, “Okay, pick up everything round, or pick up everything blue that you see and put it back in the toy box…things like that.
It may take a while, but you have to be consistant with it and you must be steadfast and not cave….don’t do it for her…let her, make her, do it…
And let her know, that if she doesn’t clean up the mess in 1 room, SHE WON’T BE PLAYING WITH ANYTHING IN ANOTHER ROOM. You have to set a limit on the messes.
I’m going to tell you, there were times when I couldn’t even see my floor to my living room. Your house will never be the same again, and the sooner you accept that, the easier things will be for the both of you.
Try to understand that children have no idea that they are making a mess until you show them that they are and enforce certain practices that pertain to that situation.
It’s not always easy and ‘rome wasn’t built in a day’. Give it a try and be patient…
Good luck
December 23rd, 2009 at 08:36
Ya…there is no way of *avoiding* messes..but you can certainly *limit* them. One way is designating one room of the house as a playroom and keeping all her toys there. Use a gate to keep her in that room when unsupervised (like when you are cleaning or cooking). When supervised, close all doors to areas you don’t want messed up. When drinking, use spillproof cups such as playtex (they are the best as far as I have tested). When eating, have a rule that all eating is to be done in the kitchen or outside. No walking around the house and eating. Even snacks! You say she is still in a high chair. Try buying her a booster seat like this one:
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Tell her it is her “biggie” girl chair and that she is not a baby anymore and there will be no more throwing food on the floor. If she does it, take her food away and turn her chair around so she is facing a corner for a “time out” (one min for each age). This worked great with my kids. After about the 5th time or so they “get it”.
The only other suggestion than those are to clean up as you go to reduce the mess. If her playroom is upstairs and you want to go take her outside, clean the playroom before you go. And make sure she helps you!!!
December 25th, 2009 at 01:41
Well with the food if she is throwing it then take it away telling her that if she is not eating it she must be all done. once she continues to loose her food she will stop playing and know that it is time to eat.
As for the toys leave only a few toys out at a time if you are not playing with her. make sure those toys are safe that she won’t get hurt playing alone with them. Take other toys out when you are playing with her and then you can work on picking up one toy before playing with another. It will take time but they eventually learn.
December 27th, 2009 at 07:40
Hi! I understand exactly what your saying. My toddler is also very messy and it is an unfortunate stage of toddlerhood that can’t be helped or prevented.
My advice is to only give her clear liquids in her sippy cup when she is walking around in carpeted areas (preferably a nuby cup or spill proof one of any brand will do). If you give her snacks also in carpeted areas be sure that they are only crackers or dry type cereals. Then you can easily ’swivel sweep’ it up (I have the same machine, imagine!). If it is a dry snack then it is easy to vacuum but if you are not in the mood to do that then don’t give her a snack on carpeted areas period.
As for the meal time delimma of tossing things, it is easiest to keep a wet dish towel handy at meals and then spot clean the tile floor when she has finished eating. This way it prevents floors from getting stained and sticky.
Now you also mentioned the porblem that she is getting into the garbage can. Find a new place for it where she cannot reach it or continue to gate off the entire area. That will not only keep her from getting into the can but will also keep her from dragging her toys in there.
She is a small toddler and time out and rules do not work with her age. So meanwhile don’t fee ashamed to shut doors if it prevents disasters or messes because she is too little to understand now.
As for the toy problem. Spread out a large bedsheet in her play area (living room nursery etc) and when she is finished playing pull up all corners of the sheet and dunp the toys in their rightful box. It works FAST and doesn’t make your back ache!
One more thing I did with my toddler daughter is I only offer her juice boxes and squeeze bottles of juice when she is playing outside. It gave her something to look forward to and also was a safe place for her to be messy rather than in the house as well as taught her how to drink from the bottle without spilling. I hope I helped tackle all of the problem areas for you and don’t worry you are not alone with this situation it is very common.
December 28th, 2009 at 05:25
Sorry, to say, kids make messes. A lot of messes. I just turned 18 and once in a while I need to be reminded to clean my room, do dishes and tidy after myself. I still drop food on the floor and spill my drinks too.
Cleaning with kids in a neverending job. The only way to stop it is to start teaching her to put the food in her mouth, and not on the floor. Putting paper under her might work too. Or even a dog (just joking on the dog idea)
For her toys, ask her to help. Make it a game. Who does it faster? Her or Mommy?
As for carpets, keep her out of rooms with carpet when she has food.
Investing in a few more gates might be worth your while for the time being. They sell for cheap at used clothing stores.
December 29th, 2009 at 09:22
I understand what you told Doodlebug or whatever about not understanding commands because she is only 14 months old. My son is 28 months. He has been picking up his own toys for over a year now. He started picking them up as soon as he could walk. I understand what you are saying about she is little, but she can help you pick up. If you make it a game, and not a command, she will be more likely to “play” with you and pick them up.
To tell you the truth there is no easy or fast way to clean up. I have all hard wood floors and I understand about the messes. I sweep about 2 times minimum a day. A spill mat is helpful, but it is not the best. Try explaining to her that messes are bad. It might work and you might be surprised.
I am not telling you what to do honey, I am just trying to help….
I hope it does help….
Robin
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