3 1/2 yr old - so messy and careless

[flower01]

I know she's only 3 so I can't expect perfection, but how can I help improve this. I swear I am cleaning up more messes all day long than I did when she was 18 months and learning how to use a cup. She just has no concept of her body - she is constantly jumping and flailing around... so my cup of coffee that is up high and out of reach of the baby is knocked off the table because she just swings her arms with no awareness of what's around her. We were just eating snack mix from a bowl on the floor. I get up to nurse the baby and she's doing flips on top of the bowl - so now trail mix is all over the floor. i can't keep up with the regular house cleaning because all day long I'm cleaning up these messes. So...any tips?

[kcparker]

Originally Posted by flower01

I know she's only 3 so I can't expect perfection, but how can I help improve this. I swear I am cleaning up more messes all day long than I did when she was 18 months and learning how to use a cup. She just has no concept of her body - she is constantly jumping and flailing around... so my cup of coffee that is up high and out of reach of the baby is knocked off the table because she just swings her arms with no awareness of what's around her. We were just eating snack mix from a bowl on the floor. I get up to nurse the baby and she's doing flips on top of the bowl - so now trail mix is all over the floor. i can't keep up with the regular house cleaning because all day long I'm cleaning up these messes. So...any tips?

These are our house rules:
1. Keep food at the table. It's less messy, and the baby can choke on small stuff, so "protecting the baby" is an important reason to be careful with our food.
2. If you spill it, you have to help clean it up. It's everyone's responsibility to help keep the house clean. 3 years old is old enough to wield a rag to mop up a spill or help corral trail mix with a whisk broom and dust pan.
3. Mama and papa are not to freak out about messes. Kids learn by doing things imperfectly, and whatever, if some flour is spilled on the floor in the course of making pancakes, it's easy to clean up.

Maybe some play activities that encourage body awareness would be useful too - games like Red Light-Green Light, Simon Says, limbo, dancing or gymnastics classes, seeing how close you can get to something while not touching it, doing obstacle courses in the house. And go outside as much as possible.

[flower01]

Thanks for your response. I like the idea of doing the games you suggested.

She does help clean up but our house is all carpet so it requires pulling the vacuum out or stain treating which is just not easy.

And I don't confine food to the table, which is in our tiny kitchen because I would be miserable...I have to snack myself all day long (just my metabolism & nursing) and it's just not comfortable at all to have to sit there every time we want something, especially if I'm snacking while nursing.

[greenemami]

We had to move to keeping food at the table too (which luckily is right next to the couch/playroom-small house!) because I was tired of cleaning up food everywhere. Just the other day we were snacking on a bowl of peanuts on the couch and she knocked the bowl over twice in a row and just left them all over the floor-we have a crawling baby too, so it is not only messy but dangerous. could you maybe just pick one area for snacks, even if it is the couch or wherever to contain the mess?

We make sure to have cleaning supplies available (rags, napkins mostly) so that she is able to clean up spills. We have also just implemented "clean-up time" while I am preparing dinner so that all the toys/messes get cleaned up before bedtime. I love waking up and having a nice (fairly) clean house and it prevents me from freaking out all day about cleaning up her toys. She definitely is the type who likes to keep everything out and do one big cleanup rather than taking out only one thing at a time, so I try to go with that within reason.

[kcparker]

Other thoughts:
If a vacuum is too heavy, can she wield a dust-buster? You can keep it plugged in and stored behind a couch or something so it's easily accessible.

You can at least limit snacks to "nothing sticky" - nuts, crackers, etc. clean up more easily than smashed bananas and gobs of peanut butter.

You can keep the snacks in a covered container or something with a small opening - like, what if you put trail mix, goldfish crackers, or dry cereal in a clean one gallon plastic milk jug? It can be poured out in small amounts, but if it gets knocked over, the size of the jug and the small opening will keep most of it in, even with the cap off.

[jecombs]

Umm, get a dog??? Our dogs have most of the little messes cleaned-up in a matter of seconds!

I'm just joking, of course... kinda... unless you really like dogs.

Beyond that, sometimes DD and I will have picnics in the living room. We sit on an old, plastic table cloth and eat our food. That way if anything spills it doesn't get on the carpet and is easy to clean-up. We also use these spill-less bowls that I picked up at Walmart if we're eating trail mix or goldfish, to minimize spills. DD uses a regular cup at mealtimes, but I give her a sippy cup of water to carry around with her during the day. I try to keep my tea in a lidded, insulated cup, especially since my 5 mo. old started getting really "grabby".

[mamazee]

My kids are only allowed to have water and snacks where remains are easily vacuumed up if they aren't in the kitchen. Then I just vacuum a lot.

I also use a sports bottle for my water and for water for the kids.

[leighi123]

We try to 'contain' messes.

Food is only allowed at a table (doesnt matter which table, just 'a' table, sitting down). When he is done, his dishes go in the kitche, trash in the trash and he wipes the table if needed.

He has his very own dustbuster for messes (which he loves to use!), and also a kid size broom, wisk broom/dustpan and water in a spray bottle (I'd use vinegar instead but he is allergic to it) and some rags which are only for him to use and only for cleaning stuff. He is allowed to clean whenever he wants to (even if it isnt very helpful, hopefully one day it will be!)

For things like toy messes, the rule is 'get one thing out at a time', which mostly works. Small toys left laying around go in a 'lost and found' box which is donated if not put away after a couple days.

[mooshersmama]

I second the dustbuster idea...Ellie loves using ours. Also a dustpan and brush are great tools.

I don't really limit food and drinks but I do have Ellie help clean up when she spills something.

[flower01]

Love the dustbuster idea!

And I guess I need to go buy some more lidded cups.