Any Suggestions on How I Can End the "Dumping"

I guess I was naive and thought it would be futile to reason with a 2 year old (LOL!) so when mine starting doing this (mainly because he loved the "rain" of legos as they fell), I made a shelf attached low to the wall (in the toy room, though, not my living room) and anchored in studs. I then took 4 baskets from the dollar store (half the size of a regular laundry basket) and screwed the bottom to the shelf... a picnic bench (the part you sit on, not the table) instead of a shelf would work too if you somehow attach it to the wall so they cant tip it over. He still managed to make a mess, but he had to do it by hand! He was a little frustrated at first, but that gnat's like attention span came in handy and he quickly forgot about it.

when our son pulls out too many toys on the main level we explain to him that if he wants more toys out that we have to p/u some that are already out or he can play w/what is out already (he turned 2 yesterday).

Sometimes he throws a fit, so we don't allow more out untill he helps p/u some and then we walk w/him to get the one he wanted. If he tries to get it out before he helps p/u some he walk him back to put it away untill he helps, then walk back with him and get the one(s) he wanted.

About after a week of doing this w/him he got the idea w/o fits for the most-part

Hope this Helps :)

i would recommend making a new rule, which we use in my house and works great. - TWO kinds of toys out at time, only. that's it. if he goes to dumping, he has to STOP what he's doing, and pick up whichever toys "he" decides he's done with. he can help you pick them up, which you said he does...just enforce the rule. it will cut down on a lot of the clutter. and of course, before bedtime HE should be picking up (or at least helping) his toys. at two, a little help might be needed but it should be his responsibility. if you show that you don't mind helping him, he won't mind helping you later...

I believe that having toys strung all over is a danger to everyone in the house. It's especially dangerous to older people and any woman that could be developing osteoporosis and not even know it yet. So in my house I am very strict about this.

Any time a toy bin gets dumped, the offending child is done playing either for the rest of the morning until nap time, or if it's after nap time, until they go home. You'll have to set your own limits or way of segmenting the day since you are at home.

I would keep out so few toys that if he dumps them it only takes a few minutes to remove them all but 3-4 toys...not 3-4 types, but 3-4 period. Leave that small amount for him and put all the rest away until something about his day has significantly changed. You can mark the day into little segmants between meals and snacks and nap etc.

It takes time, but consistency is really the only way. My 9 year old still doesn't get it all the time. She left something out yesterday in a place I never would have expected a toy and I stepped right on it in the middle of my foot without shoes on. OUCH that hurt! When something like that happens I make a huge deal out of it, yelling ouch very loud and telling the offending child/children how much they hurt me by leaving their toy out when they was not playing with it. Eventually, they will learn how to be empathetic towards others. Just don't expect it to happen too fast.

Suzi

Good Morning B., Welcome to My world...lol I once told some one a tornado would have to come through to make order of this house. :) I have the same thing going on here with the gr sons. Their house isn't any different. We have team clean up before they leave sometimes it works well other times Zane 2 this month does as Paxton does. Dumps them out as we pick up. Even though he picks up toys too, he takes them out again.
We have bins with pictures of toys that go in each bin. Corbin does great with those, unless he is in a hurry to get done and then it is helter skelter. I really don't care anymore where they go as long as they are out of the middle of the floor.

I don't get upset if the blocks are mixed with the Lego's or cars. There are worse things. The only thing I do insist on is the books go in the book basket.
One way I get them picked up quickly is, Corbin loves to use the Vac, so he can get the toys picked up pretty fast to be able to Vac for me.

So B. don't sweat the small stuff, there are worse things that could make you worry or get frustrated more.

God Bless you always
K. Nana of 5

put less toys in the living room. Maybe have that organized toy system in their bedroom mainly for the older son. Have 2 or 3 bins at a time in the living room. Maybe only 1 available at a time with smaller and a lot of parts in 1 bin, stuffed animals or bigger trucks etc. in the other 2 bins but only allow a few bins at a time in that room since that seems to be where he plays often. It will be less clean up and he can only dump so many out. 2 year olds like to get everything out available to them so less is more and he will be content with only a few options especially when you switch them out often because they seem like new toys to him all the time and he wants to play with them all at once.

Your older kids can bring a few items down for themselves but make sure they put them back in their rooms when finished playing to keep the toy clutter and mess down in the living room.

I always had a rule that even the little ones picked up on. There were no toys laying around before they went to bed anywhere because if I walk in their rooms in the dark to check on them or make sure they still had their blankets on and I stepped on a toy, I just picked up that toy and threw it away because those toys are very painful on bare feet so after a few of them got thrown away they learned real quick to make sure they were put away.

It is never too early to teach them to pick up but a 2 year old will get overwhelmed if there are too many to pick up at once. I would say no more than 8-10 items in each bin for your youngest one and try to sort them with toys that are alike or go together. You can also take pictures of the toys that go in that bin and tape it to the bin so he knows which toys go into it everytime and also teaches him matching skills as he cleans them up.

I sure know what you mean. I spent half my life sorting toys neatly in pans and cars in one, other things, etc. all sorted out. I finally realized one day that I would soon be crazy and with 8 kids there was no way. BUT I did have them play little toys in the bedrooms ( lego, etc. ) and they could play all over the house if playing 'house' or things like that as long as it was all put away by the evening, usually by time to eat but always put away. It still drives me crazy to go to grand childrens or church nursery, etc. and things not sorted. But I have to let it go and say as long as it's not all over the house and they are having fun, enjoy it. But little things I think should not be all over and under sofas and tables, etc. And ALWAYS pick up one thing when done before getting out the next thing.

I am right there with ya! Two year olds... AKA Terrible Twos and called that for a good reason but of course they are the wonderful twos too. My 2yr old son is doing the same and I watch on other little boy so what I have started doing since all of our daily play is in the living room: I first went to Wal-Mart and for a very good price bought about 5 bins w/ snap lids that are about 2'x1' which I came home and put the wooden blocks in one, mega blocks in one, small animals in one, cars in one... you get the idea. Then I made a space in our living room coat closet and have two stacks of bins. When the boys get tired of the mega blocks we sing our clean up song and put them all back, then they go back in the closet and they choose another bin. I know this may sound a bit to orderly but they actually have liked the process and it has helped me keep sanity! HA
Also, I have a big fear of them falling and face planting into a block or tractor... so needless to say this has eliminated that fear too! Good Luck!

Hi B.!
I feel your pain. My son is 2 and LOVES dumping toys! I am the same way--very particular (my mom likes to say I'm anal). Some days I sort his toys, other days I don't even bother. I never do it while he is awake though. I think life is too short and I value my time with him too much to waste it on cleaning up behind him. I just let him have a blast while he's awake and if it really really bothers me that day, then I get to bed a half an hour late that day after I'm finished sorting and putting away all of his toys. I don't really think there is a way to keep him from dumping them all out. Kids their age like the cause and effect of it all. I'd just try to worry about it less as hard as that may be. At least your little one helps clean up!!

Relax! Two year olds do this! It sounds like since your kids are so spread out in age that you do not remember this stage of childhood. Just buy some big baskets and store the toys in these baskets around the room. Tell your toddler that he can empty one of the baskets at a time. If he dumps out more, then clean up by filling one basket (sho cares if the toys are mixed up), and put it away for the rest of the day. He will quickly learn to only dump out one at a time. Also, relax your standards for a few years. He will be able to be more organized when he gets older!
Best of luck!

I would be worried if your 2 year old was NOT dumping toys. Totally typical development to learn about cause and effect. Sit down and help him understand the filling back up part. And relax, soon he will grow out of this stage and you might even miss it!

honestly you sound a little bit paranoid or OCD. I understand big toys with big toys just to ensure enough room but to go as far as seperating toys that much would drive me insane.

kids will be kids and we need to let them be kids. Or else they won't have the happy childhood memories that make it all worth while in the end.

Just relax and realize he is only two they don't exactly have the concept of organization. I have a huge tote that all the toys except the stuffed animals goes in and the stuffed animals go in the trunk. also when i need the floor kept clear i still use the playpen or a gate to keep it contained. a gate works great for keeping the toys in the room. plus so long as the toys are picked up at bedtime then things are ok.