Little Tyke

Top 5 ways to teach your children respect of things

1. When my kids play garage sale and put a ton of toys in one big messy heap I help them clean it up. If they don’t help or run out of steam I put the stuff up that they don’t clean up. We have a walk-up attic so I just put it in a bag and take it upsairs. Sometimes I threaten and they’ll clean up and sometimes they never notice. Sometimes I put it in our real garage sale pile and they never care. Too much stuff!!!! Get rid of some and save the clean up.

2. If they start playing long games and I don’t have two hours, I stop it before they’ve gone too far. I explain how we’ll be leaving in an hour and I don’t want the mess. They don’t like it but limiting the mess contains it. Sometimes I limit the size like “only two stuffed animals each” or “you can make a pile bigger than this box.”

3. They should be old enough to contain themselves from your stuff. A lock would work but might just create a power struggle. I would opt for putting my contacts in a box high in the closet that they can’t reach and don’t know is there.

4. I would have them help with the laundry. My kids like to put the clothes and detergent in the laundry. They also will put things into the dryer. I then make them take their clothes out and I’ll fold. Then, they put in their room. We do it when the clothes are warm so it feels good and they enjoy that. I also see how fast they can take the piles to various rooms and they more or less cooperate. Perhaps if your kids see the work, they’ll be more respectful. If they
continued to not put clothes up, I might tell them they can’t wear any clothes that have not been put in their proper place. If they don’t pick it up in a reasonable time, then the clothes get put away. Eventually, they run out of clothes and understand the need to keep things neat.

Children need to learn to be respectful of things and this is an essential life skill. They can’t go through their co- workers desk, eat the food in the break room if marked otherwise,
move a jacket saving a seat at church or a host of other unwritten property-rights rules. You have to help them see how their behavior negatively effects others.

While I type this message, my 4 and 6 year olds are “camping” complete with sleeping bags, blankets and a host of other toys and “supplies”. I think we’ll do movie night and they can’t watch a movie until it’s more or less picked up.