Be Honest With Me
July 8, 2009
As you know my girls are 4 and 2. Is this concept too difficult to grasp?
I mean I know there are a lot of shoes, but all those on the floor will fit in a neat little cubby.
Just so you know it’s not just the girls who do this. The Husband is TDY so his shoes are with him, or they would be neatly stored under the table.
So tell me, are my expectations too high? Maybe I should lower them.
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fixitmommy.com 
No your expectations are not too high for a four year old maybe for the two year old just reminders for her at this point. However this being said I make my boys hang up their shoes in one of those pocket shoe over the door thingys and neither of them remembers and they are 7 and 4. So they are usually strewn about my whole kitchen area and I make them pick them all up before they get to do anything fun cause at that point they are a major tripping/ dog chewing hazard! You are lucky the shoes are actually next to where you put them away lol!
Yay for trying! I know it can be frustrating. I want to cry over the state of my living room on a daily basis. I think your 4 year old should be able to put her shoes away. The 2 year old may not be able to be very neat about it. I got fed up with shoes everywhere and got my twins a basket for their shoes. They seem to be better able to keep their shoes put away with the basket than anything else.
No, it’s not a high expectation. It’s just different from everyone else’s.
I understand though.
Negative. If we go to the play area my kids know their shoes go in the cubby there. And at Lil’s developmental playgroup all the kids there (from 18m to 30m) know their jackets go on the hook after playing. They sit in their seats for snack. The washcloth goes in the bin. It’s just a matter of making it habit.
I’d suggest you prompt them still and show them as well “When we take off our shoes they go right in here.” I’d even consider rewards such as a sticker or a handstamp (those markers withthe ‘stamp’ on top work WONDERS).
Your expectation? Not unreasonable in the least. Sure, a slip up here and there is to be expected. But total chaos? Eh…they can do better than that MOST of the time.