Top Tips for Keeping A Tidy Nursery

Child experts consistently say tidying up is something young children should be encouraged to do. Not only does it reduce your workload at home, it also benefits your child’s learning and development.

Learning to tidy teaches children valuable life skills they will then be able to take into adulthood, such as respecting their belongings, valuing their environment and being responsible. Importantly, it helps to develop self-regulation; that is, their ability to manage their thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

When it comes to tidying, children will learn the importance of staying on task and resisting the temptation to wander off to find something more interesting to do. With completion comes a sense of achievement, meaning tidying up can actually be a very rewarding task. Whether it’s encouraging your little Bambino to use their personalised hangers, or perhaps helping them organise trinkets on our floating shelves, the most important thing is that you are getting them involved as early as possible.

What age can my little Bambino start helping?

You will probably be happy to hear this, so the earlier the better. You can start introducing tidying up as soon as your child can hold something. However, when children are young, it will be more of a case of a child putting things away alongside an adult, or the adult passing an item or toy to the child to put away.

What can I do to help?

Explain to your child why tidying up is necessary. It may be obvious to you, but not to your child. This is something parents often forget to do.

Don’t expect perfection or that your child will meet your expectations. They might not always manage to put the toy in the box or might put their personalised photo frame in the wrong place, but whatever happens, always praise them for trying. Once you have purchased our Little Bambino hangers, ensure you keep them as keepsakes. Your child will remember this item is for them specifically, and may be more inclined to hang up the odd jacket or trousers.

You also need to consider what your child is physically capable of – for instance, they may struggle to carry a big or heavy toy. Children should be encouraged to carry only what they can manage and if need be make several trips – sometimes it can take time to tidy. If your child has a certain toy that they can’t bear to put away, then that is fine, just leave it out.

Setting a good example

Children often mirror adult behaviour and actions, so if they see you tidying, they are more likely to become interested in copying what you are doing and adopt your habits. It is similar to children becoming interested in cleaning, as they are imitating what they see at home. It is good for children to see both their parents tidying so they recognise it is a team effort.