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AnythingsPossible 09-09-2011 08:50 AM

Toy Storage
 
I think I have a new daycare organization plan. No bins, just throw everything on the floor. It's all they seem to want to do lately. I think it sounds like a plan.

Meeko 09-09-2011 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by AnythingsPossible:
I think I have a new daycare organization plan. No bins, just throw everything on the floor. It's all they seem to want to do lately. I think it sounds like a plan.

In this "child-led" world we live in...it's what's done at home...so why not at day care too? :rolleyes:

I often hear kids make comments like "My mom doesn't make me cleanup!" or "My mom does it for me". One 8 year old child even haughtily said no when I said it was time to clean up and said "It's my choice if I want to clean up". So I told him it was MY choice to send him to time out for being sassy and disobedient!! He seemed genuinely shocked.

My rule is YOU MADE THE MESS. YOU CLEAN IT UP. To me it's just learning responsibility....but I have interviewed some parents who are shocked that the kids must clean up after themselves (some love it of course).

I insist that the toys be put away RIGHT too. Every toy has a home. Legos don't go in the bristle block drawer and cars don't get mixed in with the play food.

kidkair 09-09-2011 12:11 PM

I teach kids to clean up after themselves too. Even the 15 month old I have right now is learning what toys go where.

AnythingsPossible 09-09-2011 12:14 PM

It isn't usually as bad as it seems to be today. Even my girls who are good about putting things away are throwing things everywhere. The biggest culprits though our the two 15 month olds and the one year old. Time to start teaching some cleaning lessons for sure.

TBird 09-09-2011 12:15 PM

UGH!!! I tell my own children daily....OH WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY would you MAKE the mess if you don't like cleaning UP the mess?!?!?!?!:mad:

beachgrl 09-09-2011 12:25 PM

We have this issue w my stepson, evidently ma doesn't MAKE him clean up and does it for him...why does a five yr old need to learn responsibility at this age? My hubby countered with, to teach him so that later he hopefully won't be like your other kid, you know.. The one that ran away as a teen and showed back up preggers and ready to give birth so that u now have a five yr old, a teen and a baby to take care of..maybe if she had learned responsibility and consequeces you and her wouldn't be in this situation!

Oh yah, consequences...what are those? He only has those at out house too.
Funny though that he doesn't throw fits with us, doesnt whine, doenst act nuttzo...weird :)

Course at times the five yr old prefers and uses mom letting him get away with everything but at same time he knows boundaries and such with us so hopefully growing up will have some skillsnto counteract her lack of them

beachgrl 09-09-2011 12:28 PM

But also, along the clean up route..the 14 mo old will help, the three yr old does sometimes and fights it others, I just tell him that if I clean up all his mess,nhe won't be playing w those same toys or won't be able to use the train table and toys which is separate from our dedicated daycare area but that he loves..if he throws a fit, time out..he is usually ready to comply it's said and done.

Meeko 09-09-2011 01:47 PM

I have been known to remove every single toy from the play room. (In drawers on casters makes it easy) I tell the kids that if they can't clean them up...then they can't have them at all. A morning of no toys makes them clean up quick in the afternoon!

Abigail 09-09-2011 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by Meeko60:
In this "child-led" world we live in...it's what's done at home...so why not at day care too? :rolleyes:

I often hear kids make comments like "My mom doesn't make me cleanup!" or "My mom does it for me". One 8 year old child even haughtily said no when I said it was time to clean up and said "It's my choice if I want to clean up". So I told him it was MY choice to send him to time out for being sassy and disobedient!! He seemed genuinely shocked.

My rule is YOU MADE THE MESS. YOU CLEAN IT UP. To me it's just learning responsibility....but I have interviewed some parents who are shocked that the kids must clean up after themselves (some love it of course).

I insist that the toys be put away RIGHT too. Every toy has a home. Legos don't go in the bristle block drawer and cars don't get mixed in with the play food.

Do you have any pictures of how you have your toys stored? I want to make sure I can label things easily to be put back in the right spot! I once had a two year old picking up the cars, which go in a bucket, and his mom came in and made him finish picking up the other few cars as he tossed them on the shelf. The response was "Well at least they're off the floor" :mad: I was actually mad but didn't say anything.

I was brought up being told if you don't have time to do it right the first time, you're going to make time to get it done right the second. Meaning if I did a crappy fast job cleaning then she'd make me do it again right.

Meeko 09-15-2011 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by Abigail:
Do you have any pictures of how you have your toys stored? I want to make sure I can label things easily to be put back in the right spot! I once had a two year old picking up the cars, which go in a bucket, and his mom came in and made him finish picking up the other few cars as he tossed them on the shelf. The response was "Well at least they're off the floor" :mad: I was actually mad but didn't say anything.

I was brought up being told if you don't have time to do it right the first time, you're going to make time to get it done right the second. Meaning if I did a crappy fast job cleaning then she'd make me do it again right.

I actually don't have the drawers labelled! They just know where the toys go. It was PAINFUL to get them to do it right at first.....but now it's second nature. Every now and then someone will get lazy. But I am tough about it. If I check the drawers and something is in the wrong place...I put it back on the floor and they have to do it right. They have learned that it makes sense to do it right the first time.

AnythingsPossible 09-15-2011 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by Meeko60:
I have been known to remove every single toy from the play room. (In drawers on casters makes it easy) I tell the kids that if they can't clean them up...then they can't have them at all. A morning of no toys makes them clean up quick in the afternoon!

I told them this yesterday. I said if they continue to throw toys around the room and not actually play with anything, then I will be putting all the toys away for awhile. I know others have done this at different times, and it may be a good idea for us at this point in time!

Kaddidle Care 09-15-2011 01:20 PM

Now you've got it! Take out one thing at a time and when they want something else, they need to put it back!

Sometimes we get caught up in wanting a nice variety but sometimes it's overwhelming to the children. Better off a few things and rotate them.

I just recently trimmed our play foods down to half as I was finding it clear across the room and nobody was willing to pick it up. With less clutter they are still playing with it but at the table by the kid's kitchen set up.

Sometimes, less is more. They'll catch on. ;)

Meyou 09-16-2011 12:02 PM

Could you try getting them to pick up before the mess gets out of control? We clean up before snacks and lunch, before outside time am and pm and then at 5pm (30 minutes before closing time). But if they are having a messy day I stop them, ask them to look around and then say it's time for a quick pickup so they have more room to play. Even my 4.5 year olds that have been here for years are overwhelmed by a huge mess so I try not to let it get to that point.

We also discuss playing with the toys as they should be played with frequently. Examples....books never go on the floor, blocks are for building, toys are for hands not feet, crayons at the table, dolls in the dollhouse etc. They have really made less mess overall since I started frequent pick up times and have gotten them used to playing specific games with specific toys rather than dump and drop.

The other thing I do is direct traffic, especially for the little ones. 1-2 year olds get direction from me such as " DCG -you can please look for blocks to put away" "DCB - can you please find ALLLLLLL the babies and put them to bed?" It's an overwhelming mess sometimes so giving them a task helps alot. My little ones start picking up at around 14 months. Most start with me around 11-12 months due to the mat leave in canada.


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