Toy Baskets

We all have fond memories of bending over our toy boxes or toy baskets, looking for our favorite toy to play with. This is what toy baskets are designed for after all; they are supposed to help store and organize our most precious items (the toys) as we are growing up. Here are some things that we can do to help teach our children how to properly use these great items.

• Location. Toy baskets are designed to be used by children, so make sure that you put them where they will do some good. Preferably choose a location that the children can easily access. This will help the children recognize that these toy baskets (and the things inside) are theirs.
• Style. Choose a style of toy basket that the child will like. It will pretty much do no good whatsoever if you have a toy basket, box, or chest that the child does not like. While you may have a specific style in mind, make sure that you consult your children about what kind they would like to use as well.
• Education. Use the toy baskets as a way to teach your children that there are consequences for their actions. For example, if you find yourself picking up the toys more often than your children do, take them away for twenty-four hours for the first offense. For the second offense take them away for a week. Don't be angry about it, though. Simply explain the rules and follow through with them.
• Habit. Once you decide on what to use and where to use it, and once you have started to educate your children about the use of toy baskets, it is time to help make it a habit to use them. This means that you should take the time every day, preferably the same time every day, to remind your children that they need to pick up their toys. Some of the best times to do this would be around dinner time (either before or after it) and right before bed time. For younger children, it may be necessary for you to help them. When you get them into the habit of doing it every night, pretty soon they will no longer need to be reminded.