Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/112402
family values Clean Up, Clean Up, Everybody, Everywhere... by elaine stone F irst child: they come with lots of stuff! Reality strikes at the baby shower as lots of new stuff overtakes a formerly peaceful two-person home. It dawns on soon-tobe-parents that we are being invaded. Tunes of Ariel (Little Mermaid fame) come to mind, ���... gadgets and gizmos aplenty, whozits and whatzits galore ...��� It continues from there with each age/ stage adding to the mountain. When can children help care for the stuff they require? Sooner than most parents think. As soon as they walk, they can begin to help clean-up. It is one of the first responsibilities children can learn. ���Help Mommy pick up the toys ... bring me that car ... hand me that book.��� Every tiny step is part of the learning process. If Mom or Dad always clean-up, guess what? They will be expected to always clean-up. Children need to be taught the house belongs to everyone and everyone helps keep it clean. It���s a joint venture. Teach to Age Level. ���The Grandmothers,��� early childhood educators in Cleveland recommend, ���For preschoolers, clean-up time can be overwhelming; they don���t know how to break the task down to smaller steps, or where/how to start. Say something like, ���That sure looks like a big mess. I���ll bet you had a good time playing. I���ll put away these things and you put away those.��� Give a little help. Make a game of it -- we���re robots programmed to put everything in its proper place.��� Exhibits, Classes and Events @ the England Run Branch February 26���April 24. Learn more by visiting LibraryPoint.org/discover_earth Organize. It is easier for children to put things away when there���s a designated spot: tubs, baskets or shelves. Labeling containers with pictures/ words makes clean-up and storage much easier. Children begin to place like things together: cars, blocks, art supplies. Also, clean-up time gets simpler, i.e. ���bring all the cars to Mommy and put them here (in this tub).��� earth DISCOVER Central Rappahannock Regional Library 26 Fredericksburg Parent and Family ��� March 2013 540-372-1144 ��� LibraryPoint.org