Cerys is going through a "stage" at the moment (well I'm hoping it will pass ). She just likes to make a mess in whatever room she is in. She gets all her books off her bookcase, all the toys out of her box downstairs and in her bedroom, trashes the bathroom when I'm in the bath and also seems to like throwing things. She will throw something on the floor if she's had enough of it or throw something when she has been told off. I really want to teach her the value of things and that she shouldn't treat her possessions like that. If she breaks a toy by being rough with it or throwing it, I'm not going to replace it - I want her to realise that new toys just don't appear out of thin air. Any advice on how else to approach this????? I tell her in a stern voice that she musn't throw things and I always try and get her to help tidy her things away with me. (she doesn't do it in anger just her being a cowbag )

i would probably ignore it, and then make her tidy up afterwards when she is finished - the novelty will probably wear off pretty soon, i know it did with mr.mari

Yeah I make C tidy up anything she throws about and she hates it so has deffo improved

lewis seems to like doing this and i make him tidy up, it doesn't seem to deter him much and he's taken to ignoring me, so i put him in the naughty corner and then when the corner is done he still has to help tidy, it seems to be working better

It does pass thankfully.

Oliver is really good at tidying up his mess...always more keen when we're at friends houses/toddler groups and pre-school too

I found rewards helped with getting him to tidy up a mess he'd made..Such as 'Help mummy tidy these toys etc away and we'll go for a nice cup of milk and a biccy' or 'As soon as we've tidied round we'll go for a nice walk' (in my case its usually the shop run), we also do it with 'sticky-stars' for his reward chart too, but being positive about it makes it more interesting for them

As for throwing things he usually did in temper or for attention/reaction.
This i'd get quite strict...if he'd broken the object as a result of his temper etc I'd make him aware that its now broken and goes in the bin!! Not to be replaced!!
If he was bashing things, generally being a sod with his toys he gets one warning that if he continues the toy will be removed for the rest of the day..and it'll then go in the cupboard. He usually quite bad with his ride-on that he rams into the furniture..but it does tend to live in the cupboard now cos he just can't control himself with it

If its an item of some ones else's that he is disrespecting then he gets time out! Very rare this happens but he did throw a hissy at his friends house recently cos his best friend wanted to play with a toy he had..in temper he threw it to the floor..after telling him its unacceptable to behave like that with other people property in someone elses house he had 3 mins on the naughty step (in which said best friend sat and kept him company )

Jamie does this and it drives me mad. Nothing we seem to do stops him though (although strangely he always puts all the balls back in his ball pit). I've taken to making him sit on my lap for a minute (which is like our version of the naughty corner as its the only way to get him to stay) in the hope that it will help. To be fair though Cerys is older so different things would work. I would probably just do what you're doing and make her tidy away and refuse to replace broken things

yeh that's the route I'm trying with her Zee - removing the toy if she get rough or throws it. She's pretty good at helping me tidy (when she feels like it though ) I'm just sick of the house looking like we've been burgled xx

I wish someone would inform my kids that this is supposed to be just a 'stage' and not a lifestyle choice!!

Tbf Thomas is a lot better but having little miss demolition around he tends not to bother or refuse as she just undoes any good work he might do

I've come to terms with having toys strewn everywhere now but it's trying to fold washing that winds me up - they cannot bare to see a nice neat pile and HAVE to destroy it and throw it everywhere -

xx

maybe you could try set tidy up times? liiiiiiike, we always do 'tidy up' (with signs and a song ) before we got out - a cannot stand coming home to the aftermath of hurricane elijah, then again before tea and before bath/bed and elijah just carries on. sometimes if he makes a mess or if he ever spills anything he shouts 'up up' and gets a wipe or a sweeping brush to tidy up....hmm maybe i have gone a bit overboard

I do "tidy ups" a few times in the day so she gets the idea that mess isn't "normal" iykwim ??

Debs - LOVE your avatar pic !!

yeahs debs' avatar is adorable isn't it, she looks like a princess!!! i do hope she had a top on though

Aww thanks ladies and yeah Mari I did have a dress on, didn't think topless with a veil would go down too well with my nanna although Paul woudl've been pretty happy

Mari I love your new pic of Elijah - he is edible! Scary how grown up our teeny ones are starting to look

xx

i know they are all grown up - especially thomas - 3 already!!! i tried to post more pics but couldn't, theres a link to my flickr in the mari post in member messages (how lazy am i )

im a bit disappointed actually i was hoping you just had a veil and nipple tassles