When Cleanup Becomes a Drama with Ashley H.

Ashley is a mom of two with another little one on the way. Her oldest daughter--3 and a half--is very helpful with specific tasks when she feels that she's contributing to the household, but when it comes to picking up after herself, she'll manipulate and lie to get out of it. Ashley is looking for practical tips to discourage this behavior. Today, we talk about getting your kids to clean up after themselves. We talk about the importance of redefining picking up as part of what you're doing (Mommy picking up her yoga mat is part of doing yoga, and picking up toys is part of playing with them). We talk about the benefits of turning it into a game and the huge perks of using a kitchen timer. We talk about how helpful it can be to do work side-by-side with your child. We also discuss ways to discourage lying and manipulative behavior in general by letting your child know early on that it doesn't work.   "If you turn this into a game, it'll be more fun for you too." - Sue Groner   This week on The Parenting Mentor: Redefining picking up after yourself Using a kitchen timer to turn cleanup into a game Responding to manipulation with solutions that your child obviously doesn't want Working side-by-side with your child Emphasizing the good things about cleanup   Meet the Parenting Mentor If you want to reduce the everyday stress and anxiety that inevitably come with parenting and learn to be a happier and more relaxed parent, then this is the place for you. Here, you can listen in on real sessions with parents who open up about the specific challenges they face with children from 2 to 22. Listen along and gain perspectives and strategies to help you parent with sanity and joy. Visit theparentingmentor.com for notes on this show, more episodes, and all the ways to subscribe, and don't forget to pick up my book, Parenting with Sanity and Joy: 101 Simple Strategies, which includes my Nine Golden Rules of Parenting. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts! Spotify I Stitcher I Apple Podcasts I iHeart Radio I TuneIn I Google Podcasts