Dr. Indira Mallya

Meta sentence: It is possible to live in a clutter free house by putting a system in place with the help of all family members

Moms always complain about their children driving them crazy with the mess and clutter they leave in the whole house. No amount of requests and admonishments faze their wards, so the mothers end up cleaning the mess and clutter themselves.
In such cases a system has to be put in place to make the house clutter free and relieve the mom of extra, clean up duties. Above all, the children themselves will be able to learn to pick up after themselves.
Do not fret moms! Here are some tips to help you work towards clearing up the clutter and mess in your house. Try them out.

Be a good model to your child.
Be systematic and clutter free yourself, as children learn by observing and modeling adult behaviours.

Use a democratic method of disciplining your child at all times.
This method will help your child understand that cluttering will always be frowned upon and invite some disciplinary action from you.

Purge one room at a time
Ensure that all family members work as a team at all times for cleaning up each room as it will save time and energy. First, select a room and gather all the redundant and useless materials from it. Segregate the materials that can be donated and throw away the rest without a second look.
Repeat this exercise for cleaning up all the rooms.

Have a place for everything
After you clean up the house of all the useless materials, designate a place for every category of materials such as, clothes, bags, toys, games and so on, in the given rooms.
If need be rearrange or install hooks, racks, cupboards and other storage items. After that ensure that everyone tries hard to stick to the maxim of “Place everything in its own place”.

Keep storage bins for temporary storage
To continue having a clutter free house, keep some bins at strategic places in select areas and rooms of the house. Each family member tosses things in the designated bin, for temporary storage. Stick a picture to help children identify the right bin .At a selected time all members can help put each material where it belongs. Repeat, till it becomes a habit.

Make a special system for your child

• Assign a place for your child to play and make a mess.
• Teach him to clean up from time to time and put things in their right place, instead of scattering them around.
• When you buy new toys and games, either rotate them or donate the old ones with your child’s help. Thus, your child will not be overwhelmed with the burden of keeping a pile of things, systematically.
• Store your child’s day to day clothing, toys, games and school materials segregated and within reach to promote self help. Label each category of storage place with a corresponding picture to the materials stored.
• Everyday, before going to bed, you and your child can keep together his packed school or daycare bag, water bottle and lunch box for the next morning, at one place, for your easy reach. Your child’s uniform, school badge, socks and shoes may be placed together in his room within his reach.
  Use a checklist if necessary.
  Your daily inputs will save you a lot of running around and turning things upside down to search for things at the last moment.

The article offers tips to mothers to remove the mess and clutter, especially created by their children at home. If all the family members participate in this exercise, it will help conserve time and energy of mothers and develop in others the habit of picking up after themselves.
With a little patience and lot of practice, mothers will be able to work out their own system for keeping the house clutter free.

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A toddler between 18 to 30 months is frisky and temperamental needing constant supervision, care and mother’s nurturance. Therefore, toddlers may find it difficult to settle in a daycare centre for long hours amidst unknown adults and children of varying ages, many of whom seek attention from time to time. However, if you seriously want to send your toddler to a daycare centre, there will be trained staff in early childhood care and education and support staff to act as substitute caretakers to look after your child’s developmental needs and requirements. They will also help your child adjust to the group setting. Let us delve into the pros and cons comprising advantages and disadvantages, to help you make an informed choice about a good daycare centre for your toddler.

Advantages

• First of all, a formal day care centre is licensed and regulated by local authorities. Being a group care for children from infancy to middle childhood, it is affordable, unless flashing a huge brand name.
• A good daycare centre offers a daily program which includes meals, sleep time, play and co-curricular activities with close supervision both indoors and outdoors.
• There is the provision of nutritious meals, age-appropriate activities, and hands-on experiences for children. Sufficient space and materials are provided at all times.
• Facilities such as first aid and paediatric consultations are provided whenever needed. Most daycare centres are equipped with a hygienic kitchen, clean bathrooms and changing areas, and individual cubbies for children’s belongings.
• Nowadays it is mandatory to have a closed circuit surveillance to upgrade the children’s security.
• Many daycare centres maintain regular contacts with parents to discuss the health and welfare of their wards.

Disadvantages

• It is usually a challenge to find good daycare centres that meet all your expectations. For instance, the preferred one may be either full or far away from your residence, with rigid hours for dropping and collecting your child.
• If there are many younger children at the centre, the staff will be hard-pressed to meet their individual needs, especially as it is easy for little children to fall sick in group care.
• Many centres compromise on some aspects of their program which fall outside the ambit of the prescribed norms. For instance, on some days the support staff may bundle younger children together in smaller spaces, during nap time, for personal convenience.
• The holidays followed by the centre may not match with your holidays as a working mother, so you may have to make alternative arrangements on those days.
• You may have to drop off your toddler early in the morning with his extra clothes, munchies, and water, which may be very inconvenient for you.

The advantages of a dycare far outweighs the disadvantages at such centres.
It is important for you to study the pros and cons of daycare and narrow down a few choices. It is then advisable to visit these centres to observe the setting and meet the staff and parents before you make a final decision.

Toddlers between 15 to 24 months with their just-gained simple sensory-motor skills delve gleefully into everything exciting that catches their eye! Don’t be surprised if your toddler tries to reach for the porcelain vase or raid your makeup box and smear lipstick and mascara all over her face. All work and activities at home are a toddler’s play. It helps stabilise their sensory motor skills and promotes new learning of concepts and behaviours. Your toddler will find her own avenues to play if no likable activities are provided at home. She will try new heights, run around, test her physical skills, play with gooey stuff and bang on things. She will assert her new found independence of mobility and will want to do everything on her own.

With a limited vocabulary, she will rely on physical force and tantrums to get her own way. She will also have mood swings many times in a day. One moment she will be loving and the next moment she may throw a terrible tantrum. Once you shower attention on her, she will be calm and quiet. But if you pull away your toddler from such escapades, she will fight you and throw a huge tantrum. If your verbal ticking off after such incidents has not put the brakes on your little one, here are some useful tips that will help you avoid a power struggle with your toddler.

• Provide her a safe play area at home, where she can express her autonomy, control and release her physical energy, within safety limits and her maturity. Allow her to make a mess without making her feel guilty or ashamed. Stock a variety of attractive play materials and accessories for playing in the safe area and replenish or change them from time to time. If she enjoys her space, she will not have the need to indulge in forbidden escapades. If your child is playing beside another child, provide enough toys that look similar, or you will have them snatching at each other’s toys. Also, do read up on preparing age-appropriate play activities for toddlers.

• Keep your expensive and treasured articles out of reach of your toddler and make your house child proof in general.

• Always tell your child what to do instead of telling her what not to do. Follow through on what you have told your child. This approach will reinforce positive behaviours and perhaps avoid power tussles with you and your child.

• When your child is hurting someone stop her immediately by holding her wrists or carrying her outside the room. Give her a hug and wait till she calms down. Only then you can tell her why you did not like her behaviour, but you love her.

• Have some quiet time for yourself and recharge your energy levels by relaxing with a good book. You will be ready to face any challenge.

Well planned play activities and accessories in a designated area at home will keep your toddler happily occupied so that she does not have the urge to go in search of forbidden escapades. It will also diminish her negative behaviours used with others, and, power struggles with you.