by Jacque Dixon
Keep a toy basket for your Toddlers and Littles in your main room in your home. Fill it with toys they like to play with the evening before and set it out for the day. Do a quick ‘toy sweep’ when you see they have moved on to another activity and have them put all the toys they are not presently playing with into the basket. Do a ‘toy sweep’ several times a day with your child to get them in the habit of picking up their toys. Try to make it associated with something else, such as “It’s almost time for your nap, so let’s pick up your toys.” Good times might be:
When Daddy is coming home.
Almost time for lunch – dinner – snack.
Before a guest is to arrive.
Before bath time or bedtime.
Each night put pick up all the toys with your children in the evening and take the basket to the bedroom and put some of them away, picking out new ones for the next day. This can be a fun time and something to look forward to the following day with as they get into bed and go to sleep for the night.
Mrs. Jacque Dixon and her husband, Matt, train their eight children up in the LORD home schooling on their small homestead in Indiana. They are the founders of Gleaning the Harvest, presenting widows and fatherless to the Body of Christ. She is owner and publisher of Training Sons to Be Men, Training Daughters, Teaching Wives, and Sr. Executive Editor of Growing in Grace Magazine, where she is a regular columnist. You can read encouraging home school articles and more about the Dixon family at Walking Therein.
