[Bekka]

Anyone have a todd near 2 who thinks the world is his/her dumping ground? I don't necessarily mean inverting toyboxes--you can pick up toys. I mean, boxes of crackers, bags of granola, leftover rice, glasses of water, whatever my boy can get his hands on goes on the floor! He gets great delight in watching me get mad

and doing it again! I don't know how many times I have had to throw away 1/2 a box of Cheerios or whatever.

Help! How can I help him learn when dumping is OK (bath) and not (any other time)?

P.S. I've had 2 girls: complete neatniks compared to him ...

 

[LeosMama]

IMO it's a phase. Toddlers love to dump. Maybe give him okay things to dump. I like to set up my boy at the kitchen counter on his stool (it has sides so is safe) with a tub of beans and lentils, a scoop, and some smaller plastic bowls. He loves to dump, scoop and pour from one container to another. At the end of the day, there are beans and lentils EVERYWHERE. He has had SO MUCH FUN! I think that he's learning by dumping and so I give him something that I don't consider wasteful (old stale beans I've had for years and wouldn't eat anyway) to dump.
I doubt you can teach him to dump only in the bath tub. Maybe you can teach him to dump his beans rather than other things, but he has to have access all day, not just once a day in the bath. Beans vacuum easily.
This too shall pass.

 

[Kincaid]

Yeah, what she said!

Also with the beans you can put a pantyhose over the end of the vacuum, and the beans will be sucked into the pantyhose and saved!

(just ask me how I know this about tiny little glass craft seed beads that were dumped upside down in the carpeting)

 

[Bekka]

I totally forgot I had a bean box for a couple of years with my girls--we moved and I didn't get it out when he was 1 b/c of putting things in the mouth--he prob. would be fine with it now. Thanks for reminding me! I'll look for my beans, or combine my old dry ones from cupboards ...