How Do You Teach A Toddler To Organise?

Hello and welcome I am Bonnie, and I am Lily, and this is Little Home Organised, the PodCast dedicated to helping you declutter, get organized, and reclaim time for the things you love.

LILY: Why should we have ?? problems to get organized

BONNIE: Well 

LILY: Why?

BONNIE: Haha

LILY: He had the biggest smile on his face, and he clapped with us, going, yeah, you know it makes me really excited, and I have watched him since then since do the same task on his own unprompted by us.

BONNIE: Hello

MUSIC

BONNIE: Hello and welcome. This week we are talking about teaching toddlers to organize; we will chat about ways to tame the toy chaos, how to turn your tornado toddler into a home helper and why the toddler years are the perfect time to teach your kids all about being organized.

LILY: I was ready for you to say why the toddler years are the most challenging years of your life, and I was going to be like, yep, they are.

BONNIE: You know I saw something on Facebook the other day that was saying that teenage years and toddler years are really similar for all these different reasons, and they were reasons like, it is really hard to get them to take a shower, and it is really hard for them to want to tidy up, and they don’t want to eat what you want to put out in front of them, and all that sort of stuff and I thought yeah there is a lot of correlations.

LILY: Man, toddlers are beautiful and amazing; you are watching them like, learn just like a brand new thing one day like they just wake up and suddenly they do this new thing, and it is such a really cool experience. On the other hand, they are like so much work.

BONNIE: Yeah, they really are, like especially with the leaps and they seem to go on forever and then you will be like, why are you so cranky, why are you so clingy, why are you crying all the time and then you realize, oh you are going through a developmental leap, and then they are going to get over it, and you go like wow all of a sudden you have got

LILY: There’s my kid again

BONNIE: Yeah, and they have got you know this huge development where they can all of a sudden you know speak more words, or they can hop whereas before they couldn’t, and it is just like, it is a very interesting time isn’t it.

LILY: My toddler at the moment is going through, I think it is called leap 10, and that aligns also with a big sleep regression, so it is a treat in our household at the moment.

BONNIE: Oh, that is so fun; I mean

LILY: You know what helps me, and that is an organized home to come home to because at least that is one area of my life I can control.

BONNIE: Well, that is very true, and sometimes I think with the toddler years, you just have to kind of ride the wave of chaos and not stress too much about it, so that’s

LILY: Just survive; you will thrive later

BONNIE: That’s right, and that’s what today is all about, like helping parents to learn how to organize toddlers but also not making it too much of a fuss; we are not going for the perfection; we are going for the progress

LILY: It is all about it, and if you are keen to get that organized feeling in your household, we have got lots of free resources you can, of course, check out, just head to our website, you can check out our free organizing cheat sheet, our free decision making tree if you are trying to declutter and you don’t know what decisions to make on whether to keep an item or to let it go, we have got tons of stuff and then, of course, all of our free videos that are uploaded every day on TikTok so check that stuff out.

BONNIE: Love the TikTok videos, I am getting lots of good feedback about them from people saying, oh man your sister is so good on TikTok, and I am like it is just because she had so many years of practice in front of the mirror as a teenager

LILY: I am a natural beauty; what can I say

BONNIE: Oh, you are amazing, but it is good because it really informative and they are entertaining to watch, and yeah people

LILY: You get so much information in a 1-minute video, and I just think yeah, I love TikTok; there is so much education that I have been able to absorb about like dental parenting, all different kinds of things, plants but like parenting tips, like what to do with toddlers especially it is my faith is kind about that so let’s actually jump into that, all about trying to help our toddlers help upskill them but also to help everybody in the household.

BONNIE: Yeah, I am super excited to talk about this as I am with kind of all things organizing and especially kids-related, I mean, I have got 3 and you know the eldest is 6 and there is 5 and then there is a 3-year-old so I have done two through the toddler years, and they are still alive and thriving which is really good, and now I have got this 3-year-old who is kind of a bit of a tornado and very different, it is very interesting to see how different your kids can be and even though he is the second boy, he is quite different to his older brother and

LILY: Yeah, yes, so different

BONNIE: I have just really noticed in the last couple of months that whenever you ask him to go somewhere, like go get your pajamas on or whatever, he can’t just walk and get it, he is like zoooooom, and then he runs to get there like everything is fast and everything has got noise and it usually a vehicle noise so, or it is hopping like yesterday we were visiting family and walking along the corridor he was just hoping you know along or jumping with 2 feet along and of course making noise to go with it so, they are just so interesting like

LILY: They are, aren’t they the way that they navigate the world

BONNIE: Yeah, yeah, they really are, but he is really good example of why it is super important to talk about taming the toys and teaching toddlers and all that sort of stuff because you know he is the third one that I have practiced all this stuff with and he is still falling in line and getting through just like the other 2 did so it is great because

LILY: Falling in line, it sounds so

BONNIE: Army like

LILY: Military

BONNIE: Yeah. Yeah

LILY: You will conform.

BONNIE: When you have 3 or 4 kids, you have to create your little army of home helpers, don’t you.

LILY: Yeah, there has to be some kind of order, and what I like about what you are saying there is that you can have very different personalities in your kids, but you can still help them to be a part of this tidy up process.

BONNIE: Oh absolutely, and number 2 is a really good example because she is just like a colorful rainbow explosion, and she is the one that has the ADHD, but I have still been able to, you know, do the same sort of teaching skills with her, and she still does them to the best of her ability as a 5-year-old now so it doesn’t really matter what sort of personality your little one has these kinds of strategies will help all of them. Umm, But first of all, I wanted to talk about I guess how do we kind of, when we are talking about toddlers the first thing that comes to my mind is toys right, I don’t know about you but like toys just

LILY: Absolutely, that is the biggest part of their world is toys and learning through play, and so for them, they end up with lots of lots of toys for educational purposes, for entertainment, lots of lots of toys, and it becomes an area that needs attention when it comes to home organization.

BONNIE: Yeah, and do you find with your little one being the first grandchild on one side of the family that there is a whole lot of stuff that has come in because of that because it is exciting and it is new, and everybody wants to you know see that development I suppose.

LILY: Yeah, I think there is a degree of that; we have been really vocal about the amount of hand-me-downs we already had.

BONNIE: You vocal that doesn’t sound right

LILY: No, not at all, so our family, I think, has done a really awesome job, even though he is the first grandchild of being like what do you guys actually need, which has been awesome because he was really fortunate to have so much, so many hand me downs from so many different people, in clothing and in toys and things like that and so while I recognize it is probably a really normal experience of the first grandchild to get lots of lots of stuff people have communicated with us, so it actually hasn’t been too much of an issue, but on the same hand because we have so many hands me downs in the cupboard ready to go we have to be really organized with it all because other we would just have so much stuff everywhere

BONNIE: Yeah, and I suppose because you are at the start of your family journey as well, you have got all the stuff for the other gender as well just in case you should start popping out a girl so its

LILY: That’s right, yeah like we looked at getting lots of genders neutral clothing and things like that but without hand me downs and just the way like society tends to make clothing different for boys and girls yeah we have got bagged stuff up there that we don’t know if we will be using or not but it is there just in case. Yeah

BONNIE: And you don’t want to get rid of them because they are so cute the girls’ things for the little babies, I mean

LILY: They are. I mean, we are suckers, aren’t we because the toddler stuff is cute, and even his toys are really cute, but yeah, like you are saying, the toys are like one area that I think it is important to focus on when it comes or organizing with your toddler because you are just going to end up with so many to work with.

BONNIE: Yeah, and I think the first step that we kind of talk about with all of our podcast episodes is decluttering, and a lot of people think, oh I need to organize my toddler’s toys, I am going to Ikea or Bunnings or the reject shop or whatever it might be, and I am going to buy storage and then I am going to organize the toys whereas in fact, it is actually better to do the reverse and have the toys decluttered and get rid of the ones that are no longer age-appropriate or whatnot and then do your shopping and your storage.

LILY: Yep totally agree downsize first, because then you actually know what you are working with and also like I have seen this even with my little one who is what around 17 months now, the more toys they have the less they know how to play or interact with them because it is too overwhelming, so in his play area if we have a bunch of toys that are out on the ground he will because he pulls them out generally he won’t interact with any of them, he will like kind of walk around, throw things you know like he will interact in a different way, whereas if you have 1 or 2 things out that are assessable for him to play with, he will actually start exploring and so I think I totally agree, you know decluttering those toys, we have talked about doing toy rotation and I think that is such a good strategy of only putting out a couple and keeping the toys interesting for these kids so getting the toy rotation and having an organised system for that is really important, but yeah bringing out only 1 or 2 activities for them to play with at a time so that it actually allows them the capacity to engage with what is in front of them.

BONNIE: Yeah, yeah I think that overwhelm is a really important thing to highlight because I don’t know about you but if I go to a restaurant and there are 30 meal choices I take ages to decide, whereas when you go somewhere, and there is like 6 -10 it is like okay I can make this decision really quickly so we kind of do ourselves a disservice by having too many options.

LILY: Yes, I agree it is like when we go to like Mexican restaurants in the States or even some you know like say Chinese restaurants here if there is like an entire page of like all of these different types of like curries or whatever it might be it gets really overwhelming, so I agree like having less to work with is really important, and I would say as well to stop the toy chaos kind of happening as well, keeping those items out of reach that get really chaotic that is better with parental supervision, bring them down when you can have one on one kind of play

BONNIE: Yeah, and I think there are a lot of like building sets that take a long time for kids to get out, set up, play with, and then they are not really keen to pack them away at the end of the day, so it is really important for those particular sets not to be, not to a have too many of them but B not to have them so accessible that they can just pull all the stuff out because then it just becomes this party where the whole point of the game is to you know unload as much stuff onto the floor as possible, and they do not want to put it back.

LILY: No, because it is fun to tip it out and hear it all crash, what’s that called ASMR, it is like a really like soothing sound, it is the sound that physiologically that feels really good and so I get it, and you know you watch them tip it out, and you think of dear they are not going to want to put that away. So yeah, be mindful of what they have actually got access to for sure, and then you know, getting back to decluttering; of course Bon, you are all about having regular decluttering check-in so you have talked before on the podcast about potentially downsizing decluttering toys or items and putting them in a temporary place if you still feel attached and feel like they are still going to be used, so chuck them in the garage perhaps, set a time limit, once that time passes if they haven’t been used then off to the op shop, off to the relevant charity.

BONNIE: Yeah, I think it just helps when you are feeling a little bit unsure, whether your kids are actually not playing with it, but you know the thing I have found the most interesting about working with toddlers is that especially a 3 year old and I have worked with you know my own children who have been 3 and other people’s children who have been 3, they can actually tell you what they want to play with and what they don’t want to play with and if you can then remove those ones that they say they don’t want to play with or the ones they are not playing with, and they haven’t asked you in 2 or 3 months for that particular set or, that item then you know that they really don’t want it anymore and off it can go.

LILY: Yeah, absolutely, so I think it would be a good opportunity for us to talk a little bit more about the why before we jump into some more practical stuff, why, why Bonnie, why, why should we help our toddlers get organized.

BONNIE: Well

LILY: Why???

BONNIE: I feel like a lot of people myself included, the toddler years are exhausting, right you are going through changes with teething and molars and you know all those developmental steps and the language development and it is just, there might be sleep regressions, there might be you know there is a lot going on and especially if you don’t just have one toddler but you have got other kids whether it is a baby or older children there can be a lot going on and so sometimes it can just feel like oh it just actually easier to not even bother, we are just going to close the door on the playroom and let it be a bomb site and you know once a month when someone is coming over to visit we will do the mad 3 hour tidy up before they come and a lot of people out there can feel like it is just not worth the time investment cause they undo it so quickly and easily and that is what I find the most interesting about being on social media as when people are putting up photos of these amazing nurseries and toy rooms and play areas and they are just so pretty but they are so complicated and they have got so much stuff in there that I think yeah you have spent a good couple of hours getting it to look that nice and your toddler will come in and within half an hour flat all that stuff is going to be out on the floor again and you are going to have to spend 3 hours to tidy it up so I think what my number one thing for why we should teach our toddlers to organise is that you are not a slave, you shouldn’t be as a parent feeling like you have got to tidy up after everyone and everything it is so important to teach our kids how to organise because not only is it kind of creating it as the expectation or making it the new normal but it is helping set up the space for then they older because you don’t want to do everything for them they are 3 to 1 and then all of a sudden when they are 7 go alright it is your turn, you have never folded clothes in your life and you have never helped out with any chores or tidy up around the house but all of a sudden you are going to do it all

LILY: Yeah, you want to be teaching them that responsibility and helping them become more aware of the impact that they have on their environment and on other people, you know we spend so much time and energy on teaching our children to use gentle hands and to share their toys and you know these kinds of things, and then there are other areas that we don’t necessarily think to spend time and energy on and organizing is a really good one, it shows children that when you bring this out and play with this, you can play with that other toy but what you have spotted over there but first we are going to put this one away and like teaching them to follow through and that there is a cycle of toy comes out, play with toy, toy goes away then starting something new and that idea that you start, and then you finish before moving onto something else. Like there are big things that you teach a toddler at a young age, and you do in a simple way, and as you say, Bon, they get older, and it becomes more complex so that they can go and start an assignment and complete it all the way to the end and you know go onto the next activity and just teaching them genuine life skills and starting that from a really young age, and you are right, you are not a slave like obviously, we acknowledge that little people need and are just growing and learning and we are a part of that learning process system, so you have to treat them with a lot of grace when they are you know not understanding or not wanting to understand, but you do have to start

BONNIE: Yeah and you have to think about it , a child is born egocentric like their world is all about them, especially when they are newborns right, I cry because I am hungry or I am tired or whatever, or I have a dirty nappy and then as they get a little bit older you, your job as a parent is to kind of teach them that hey yes you are important but there are other people that are important too and so there are responsibilities and things that we have to do that help other people, you know the world doesn’t just revolve around you and that is why your kids go to a daycare or they go to kindergarten or when they go to school they are taught those kind of things there, we all pack up together, we get rid of this activity and we put that away before we move onto the next activity, when they are older we are finished with maths now, we are putting our maths books away and we are now moving onto English, we are getting our English books out, so it is like what you are say with that cycle of starting, doing and then finishing before going on to that next activity and you can start that with a 15 month old and an 18 month old because as soon as they get that comprehension of the language and you know that they can, it clicks for them, they have gone through that leap and they can all of sudden understand what you have asked them and you can say go and pick up that thing and they will bring it to you and they think they are, you know the best thing since sliced bread

LILY: Because they are

BONNIE: Because they are because they are so clever you can capitalize on that right there and then and start to teach them and scaffold for them this is how we pack up, this is how we organize, this is you know these are important life skills that I am teaching at a very simple level that will help see that child you know those skills will be built upon like a brick wall if you think of it that way as they get older

LILY: Yeah, I absolutely agree, and I think it is just like many things in life it is just an area where we don’t, it is not that we mean to not teach them these things; sometimes it is just that it hasn’t, been emphasized the important impact it will have going forward. You set those expectations early and then that child knows what is expected of them, has an understanding of how to navigate the world and that is actually really important because as human beings we do well with order and like rules and routines and things like that because it helps us know how to operate and manage our space in the world literally as human beings and so you are actually giving your children a little bit of a sense they see when you do give them routines and clear expectations because they know how to navigate life with you, life in their home, it honestly is a gift, but I think the biggest gift that you get out of teaching your toddler to organise is that it is going to help you keep on top of your house on top of you for goodness sakes, it is going to help you keep on top of the clutter and the chaos of your home right and especially if you have multiple kids, like if you have got 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 children and this has not been a priority in your teaching with them you can imagine how messy your home might be getting and if that responsibility is falling onto you to clean up after them you might still have a spotless home but you are a shell of a human because you are exhausted or you might have a really chaotic home because you have decided that you can’t even begin to deal with any of that because it literally is too much and every time you clean up, you know the tornado comes immediately behind you and you are also equally exhausted so I think the why is really really big and yeah if we can start to get on top of this stuff, teaching our kids early and if you know you are look at your 6, 7 year old and thinking I have missed it, um I am too late, no there is still skills that you can teach them now to start re, I don’t want to say retraining but it is kind of a retraining to help them know how to manage their stuff and their space.

BONNIE: Absolutely, and I mean when they are toddlers, they have this desire to help right, like mummy I want to help you sweep the floor, I want to help you empty the dishes or do the washing, and you know we can feel like oh I don’t have time to you know watch you do it at your snail’s pace or try and lift you up to the clothesline because your heavy or things like that but you actually have to capitalize when they do have desire to do things because if you keep shutting them down then when they are older, and you want them to help, they will be like no way to say I don’t have the desire anymore.

LILY: Also the other thing that is really interesting about that is that your kid, like we look at like Pinterest and YouTube and TikTok and we see all these really cool ideas of setting up this kind of sensory play is really great for your child to learn this, this, this and this and yet just by taking an everyday activity that you do, so them dressing themselves, putting away their own clothes, stacking the dishwasher, unstacking the dishwasher, those things are also developing those similar skills, and it is just something that you are already doing in the house like you don’t even have to go to the effort to set something up providing the space and time for it is important because then 1 you don’t have to go onto Pinterest to find the next thing to entertain your child, you can still be growing those skills on that kid you just need to allow a bit of patience that that dishwasher may be really poorly stacked and you restack it later on, but it is awesome learning that is for sure. I feel like we should take a break and then jump right back into how we can start to teach our toddlers more organization.

BONNIE: Let’s do it.

CLUTTER CONFESSIONS

BONNIE: Okay so we are talking about teaching toddlers to organise and we want to talk about how you can turn your little tornado toddler into a home helper and this is where the teacher in me comes out because I am all about the scaffolding and the building on the brick wall and all that kind of thing but the first thing that you need to do if your toddler is having issues with either letting go or wanting to tidy up and packing up is you need to be role model for them, so that little saying monkey see monkey do, that is exactly what happens with our kids, when our kids get old enough and they copy our bad language and they all of a sudden spit it out and you are shocked and horrified it is because it is monkey see, monkey do and I can laugh about that because that has happened in our household in the last few weeks and it is absolutely horrified me when it has happened so make sure that you are role modelling that positive decluttering behaviour so set an example of letting things go and I think the biggest thing is talking, just talking to them so you know they talk about language and how even when your babies are born you should just talk to them endlessly like I am changing your nappy and I am putting you know this cream on and I am doing this, this and this because that is helping them with that language development and that is why reading books to your child is so important to do everyday even right from birth, it is that same thing with the language for letting go, okay we have finished with the eggs, the egg carton is empty we are putting the egg carton in the bin or into the recycling and then same thing with toys, okay it is pack up time now for the toys and when they are really little do it, do the role modelling of that language as well, pass mummy the toy that kind of thing, so role modelling that positive behaviour and that letting go of things that we don’t need is kind of the biggest step I feel like in the how to help them get organised.

LILY: Yeah and l even thing you know you guys certainly support that orphanage in Burma, and you have used that as a tool with your kids to be like this is where this item is going and you know really like reiterated that so even in front of your toddler if they are not quite old enough to understand where the toys are going, still saying those kinds of things and even using your own items so saying oh mummy doesn’t need this item anymore, she is going to give it to someone who needs it more, it is just like even getting them use to hearing things like that, so they understand that in your household it is normal that things come in, but they also go out, and they go somewhere that you have put a lot of thought and consideration into

BONNIE: I mean imagine if all they hear is your partner saying to you, oh can we get rid of this and you are like no, no, no I need it I have to hold onto it, well what does a child or a toddler learn then, they learn that mummy or daddy or whoever can’t get rid of things so well why should I get rid of my toys if you can’t let go of your things.
LILY: Yeah, I absolutely agree; setting that example in our own behavior actions and words is really powerful for kids

BONNIE: The other thing that I think is really important when we are talking about how to help them organize is that positive reinforcement side of things, and it can sound like we are giving treats to a dog that we are training, but it is such a powerful motivator, you know we can talk about using the carrot or the stick, and the carrot is far more motivating than you know the possible punishment for not doing something right so if your child passes you the block, and they are only 15 months old, great job, thank you for passing me the block, what are good helper you are, all that kind of stuff and then as they get older you still do that positive reinforcement, okay let’s pack up the cars together, let’s put them in the box, well done, look we did that together, you know high five all that kind of stuff, like kids love praise, they just thrive on it.

LILY: Yeah, that’s one of the things that my husband and I have been trying really hard to do with our 17-month-old; when he does something that we are both there intently watching him and encouraging him to do with words, and he does it, we both get really excited, we go yeah and he has the biggest grin on his face, and he claps with us going yeah, you know and it makes him really excited, and I have watched him then since do the same tasks on his own unprompted by us and then claps to himself. Yeah, go me.

BONNIE: That is so cute

LILY: And yeah, I think it is really powerful and also being mindful of our words, so saying you know if they are helping you put things in the dishwasher be specific, we tend to get into the cycle of saying things like good job and it is really hard for a child to conceptualize so give it a bit more meaning by saying what you are associating the positives with, so if they are helping you stack the washer you could say something like good helping or good job stacking the dishwasher or you know I saw how you put that plate in there, that was great helping and things like that, so it really helps the child tie together what the praise is about so yeah you can start that really really early.

BONNIE: Yeah I think another really good thing to do with your kids that kind of helps them role model the importance of organising and decluttering is reading books about tidying up like there are heaps of kids books out there and there is one that my kids have always loved called what the matter Aunty May and I love it because it is a rhyming book and rhymes are so good but it is all about this you know toddler or 5 year old or however old he is going to his great, Aunties house and how he has been helping her sweep and helping her do all these things and how everything went completely wrong and right at the end it is says you know why do you look so sad and would it help ease your sorrow to know that I will be back tomorrow and it is just such a beautiful book and I think that stories are another really great way to be able to show our kid that this is really the expectation of life, it is not just an expectation in our home but when you go to daycare or kindy or school or eventually when you get a job you will be expected to finish one task and move onto another, you will be expected to tidy up after yourself and not have someone else follow you around and do it for you. So they are just incredibly important life skills.

LILY: I think our overall message here is most certainly if you want to create a home helper in your toddler normalize their role in the family in their everyday actions, normalize cleaning up after themselves, tidying, putting things away, and giving them a little bit of autonomy as they get older and older and older and you are going to create a child, you are not going to create a child you have already created them, but you are going to foster an environment where that child learns how to navigate the world in a more organized way.

BONNIE: Yeah, and that will make it more pleasant for them and for the people around them because they will be givers, not takers.

LILY: Alright, Bon, so let’s talk strategies; it is tidy up time with our toddlers; we all know that depending on the mood, the time of day, especially if it is right before dinner, there will be some degree of screaming, so what are some of the things that we can do to make this process a little bit smoother.

BONNIE: Well, we have already talked about finishing one activity before moving onto another, and if you can consistently do that through the day, it means that when it is tidy uptime, it is not going to be such a big deal. It is just one activity that you have got to pack up, and in our household, we make sure that before we have morning tea, we have packed up whatever we have played with beforehand, we wash our hands like there are these little routines in place, I think the most important thing is that you need to be consistent in that routine or however you are doing your tidy up time because

LILY: 100%

BONNIE: Kids can get so confused so easily if one day you are using a song to help tidy up and then another day you don’t care about the blocks being out there all day, and oh we will just leave it, and we will deal with it tomorrow, so consistency is really really important, another one that use to do at mainly music which I loved is a song, a tidy up song, so the song that they would use at music was called like mess in the kitchen or something, but it doesn’t really matter what the song is, but it is kind of about using it consistently, oh it’s the tidy up song, let’s tidy up together and then eventfully the kids just hear that song and this is even when they are you know 2 or 18 months old they hear that song, and it triggers oh it is tidy up time, and they automatically will start putting things away, or they will cry because they don’t want to pack up depending on their mood

LILY: Yeah, exactly. Just take it as it comes. We actually do a song with our toddler, our 17-month-old. It literally just goes put it away, put it away, it is time to put it away, and we just sing that over and over on a loop to try and get him to associate it with putting toys away time

BONNIE: Yeah

LILY: Is it effective, sort of we tried out our bins, and we let him throw toys in there, and you know very exciting for being able to throw, hey please don’t throw that, so rather than throwing stuff in there, then he is like oh what’s in there and then pulls out something else, and you are like no not quite. So we are slowly getting there, so I agree with the song, and I agree with what you are saying about consistency; whatever you are going to pick, be consistent; I think you can be a really fun laissez-faire parent who kind of goes with the flow, but you can also still be organized, and you can have these routines in place, you are not depriving your child by having them do X, Y and Z before having morning tea or before having dinner or before getting out of the house, you are just teaching them really important life skills.

BONNIE: Yeah, and I think making it fun is a really key factor, like have a competition or have a race, so an especially if there are multiple children involved and it is like okay ready, set go who can throw all the cars in the box the fastest or you know have like a soft toy throwing competition into the bin, who can get as many soft toys into the bin, like make it fun.

LILY: I have seen people who have done like basketball hoops, like adults they put basketball hoops over their rubbish bins so that when they throw rubbish at their office desk they have to like throw it through the hoop, you know there are so many ways you can make an everyday task fun and kids like that so yeah just get creative.

BONNIE: Yeah, I think so, I think having fun is kind of a really key factor, and that is why being organized, having less toys to tidy up means that you will have a bit more time to be able to make things fun rather than that stress of quick we have got to get this done and out the door because you know otherwise the rest of the day’s routine will fall apart like you have to have time to have fun with toddlers.

LILY: Yes, so if you are in a position right now where you are thinking, ahh, I need to like, get my toddler a bit more organized. Well, we do a tidy task at the end of every episode, Bonnie, what is this week’s tidy task?

BONNIE: So obviously, we are talking about toys a lot today, so the tidy task for this week is to kind of tame your toddler’s toys, so step one is to do a cull and sort and do a toy rotation if it is something you have never tried before, just totally do it, it is awesome

LILY: And you can check out our recent episode on that too if you want a little bit more information about how that works. Too many words on that one.

BONNIE: Yes, and then the second step is to start role modeling that tidy up time if haven’t been already, do it together, you know a little bit at a time, and then the third step is to practice packing up each activity with your toddler, so getting them to yeah pack up all the cars with you, to pack up all the Duplo whatever it might be, it is just about

LILY: Get down on their level

BONNIE: Get down on their level, it is just about starting to role model and then getting down with them because especially for a kid that is 18 months, 2 years old, 3 years old, if there is a huge bomb site of mess and you are standing up above them saying tidy this up I mean what do they do, they are overwhelmed, they have got no idea, so it is all about breaking the task down for them, okay let’s start with finding all the cars, and then doing that one and then moving onto the next tidy-up task together.

LILY: Yeah, set those kiddos up for success.

BONNIE: Love it.

LILY: Well, that’s it for this week’s episode; hey Bon, that’s all we have got time for. I hope you guys have enjoyed tuning in to Little Home Organised with Bonnie and Lily

BONNIE: Sponsored by no one.

LILY: Sponsored by us. But if you want to support us, so we don’t have sponsors on the show, be sure to head to Apple Podcast and rate and review us.

BONNIE: And remember PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION.

LILY: See you later

BONNIE: Bye

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