21 April 2008

Toddler Mess

Before

If I had a pound or even a dollar for every piece of plastic block, small figure or cute stuffed animal that I pick up in a day, I would have a few thousand. If my wife was also given the same amount of money, I could retire right now. A bold fact I here you say. One thought that is probably ringing true for every parent of a small child reading this right now.

I shouldn’t be surprised that my lovely children have inherited the messy gene. I myself had it for a long time. The only way I was semi cured from it was constant nagging and complaining and still now I slip from my ways from time to time but a swift hand of marital justice does the trick.

Amy and Lilly are too young to understand about being tidy. They will in time become educated in the ways of tidiness. Put one toy away before getting out the next and so on. For the time being though we can place them in any room in the house and everything that is at their level quickly goes on the floor.

I will leave this post with six mostly mess related facts about toddlers and their possessions. When I say their, in the minds of a toddler everything belongs to them or should do. Even if they get told “no that’s daddies” over and over again, a toddler sees daddy’s things as fair game. I’m sure at least 75% of the below can be related to.

* Give children 30 toys to play with and they will always for the TV Remote control.

* Toddlers will do things to your TV via the remote control you had no idea that it could do and it takes you half an hour to put it right.

* If you have a book case, you only end up using the top two shelves.

* If your living room is the primary play area it is populated at the most with your couch and TV the rest is toys.

* If the above couch has more than a three inch clearance from the floor. 40% of toys will live under there.

* Your prized DVD collection that was once proudly alphabetised is now elsewhere and the farthest point in the house away from your DVD player. (Maybe this one is quite a personal point).

After

3 comments:

Cassie - Homeschooling Four said...

Oh, don't you just love toddlers!!

Anonymous said...

I feel your pain buddy.

Deb said...

So very true!! :)