One of the biggest topics of discussion between parents and their offspring is, for better or worse, the order in the nursery. Often it is argued that it looks like Hempel’s under the sofa again and that it should be cleaned up. So that it does not even come to these unpleasant situations, we have put together a few tips and tricks for you that can help. In addition, we clarify when it is time for your offspring to be able to put away the toys independently and introduce you to the Montessori approach in this train. So read on here for all the important information!
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Tips for setting up the nursery
One thing that expectant parents deal with intensively is the furnishing of the children’s room. Of course, in addition to a changing table, this also includes the matching wardrobe, a baby cot, and probably one or the other shelf at the beginning. But when your offspring grows up, crawls, and later learns to walk, the existing furniture and especially the contents are often no longer safe from small patschehändchen. Everything has to be explored, best pulled out, and examined. And often all toys, books, and Co. are on the floor and have to be painstakingly sorted back by you.
In order for the independent tidying up later, it is important that you get special order systems for children, which are also easily accessible for your offspring. For example, you can place different boxes on a shelf that is on the floor. It is best to provide them with a photo or a symbol so that your child immediately recognizes what belongs here. You can do the same with small things in drawers. For this, there are often specific containers that are super practical, so that not everything flies around loosely.
Another tip: Present toys and books clearly visible to your child. So it can recognize more quickly what it wants and does not rummage haphazardly in the toy box, in which everything always ends up. Do you still have a few things, such as LEGO, that come in larger quantities? Then maybe use transparent boxes. This makes searching a little easier. And so hopefully the order in the children’s room can last longer with these furnishing tips. Are you still looking for suitable boxes and Co.? Then browse through our storage options in the MyPlaybox shop!
Regular sorting out helps with the order in the children’s room
We have just hinted at it a bit: An overview is a be-all and end-all when it comes to the order in the children’s room. And that also includes sorting out. Because toys in particular seem to multiply almost unnoticed over time. Of course, this is nice for our little ones on the one hand, but at a certain point, it can also lead to sensory overload and thus excessive demands. In addition, there is a possibility that your child will not learn to concentrate on one thing because the offer is too large.
That’s why we recommend that you deal intensively with the selection of toys. This can already start with the fact that you regularly check whether they are still age-appropriate at all and your child is still interested in them. This also gives you an idea of what your offspring likes and what he likes to play with the most.
Depending on how old your child is, you can also involve them in this process. So you can decide together whether this doll or this car is still important or not. This allows it to learn to make and deal with decisions in a playful way. For this, it is important that you always explain what happens to the things when sorting them out. For example, you can donate or sell them to make a greater wish possible.
When is your child ready to clean up?
Here the opinions certainly differ slightly and of course we do not want to make any regulations for you. Our tips are for orientation only and can be seen as the first steps in this direction. It is quite clear that the undertaking can only be started from a certain age. Experts say that the child is interested in order from about the age of 3. A well-known example: Drawers are put out and back and thus a willingness to help is signaled.
So this is a good starting point to slowly introduce the order in the nursery. Because at this age, children are highly motivated and at the same time discover their independence. It is therefore important to adjust this time window. You should pay attention to the following points, so that it will hopefully work out that tidying up even gives your child pleasure.
Start by saying specifically which part of the room or which toys (e.B dolls or building blocks) should be cleaned up. Provide sorting options as we described above. Leave also built things standing. After all, it may well be that the laboriously created tower or tent should continue the next day. In addition, a time warning is a good means so that your child can adjust to the fact that in ten minutes must be cleared together. If this does not work, it usually helps to announce a consequence. And you should praise above all verbally and concretely related to the situation.
The Montessori approach to order in the nursery
If you have already dealt with the most diverse possibilities of raising children, then you will certainly have already come across the term Montessori. It refers to the pedagogy developed by Maria Montessori in 1907. Above all, it is about finding suitable didactic techniques so that your child’s learning process is optimally promoted. A sentence that comes up again and again and sums up the concept well is: “Help me to do it myself.”
But what does this mean in terms of tidying up? Here it is very strongly advocated that the facility is child-friendly. In this way, you give the opportunity for your child to become independent and gradually break away from you. The skills should be able to be acquired independently. A distinction is still made between external and internal order. Because only with a tidy room can the inner organization arise, which is essential for structured and concentrated learning. And thus a well-being arises within the independence.
So the order in the children’s room remains
Have you optimally adjusted the children’s room to your child? It can achieve anything necessary and it is at the age when it can clean up on its own? Then you will probably wonder how it does not have to happen in the first place that the room is “devastated”. First of all, we would like to advise you to be patient and calm. After all, by playing with different things, our children discover their imagination and live it out.
In order for the order in the children’s room to remain at a pleasant level, we advise you to set up clear rules. Because if these are consistently pulled through, you do not have to clean up for hours every week. One option, for example, would be that you specify that a new toy may not be picked up until the current one has been cleaned up. Even ten minutes in the evening are a good way to create a certain routine and thus basic order.
Last but not least, here is a tip for creative play when using paint, clay or other artistic materials. Set a fixed place (for example, at the kitchen table). It should be clear that only in this area can it be worked on. So you hopefully escape the well-known works of art on wallpaper and Co. Be here and also with all the other aspects mentioned, always open with your child and try to argue as understandably as possible.
