Quite a Mess
This evening, while I was busy in the kitchen, Ava had a hay-day with her toys. They were scattered everywhere. Usually, I monitor her activities closely enough that I am able to keep her picking up toys as soon as she finishes playing with them, but this time I was just not paying attention. Her room, in particular, was an absolute mess. I knew I should make her clean up her own toys, but it was already past her bedtime and I was more desperate to just finish the day than to turn the moment into a learning opportunity. So, as I knelt down to begin picking up random toys as quickly as I could, I said to Ava, "Oh, Ava, where are the rest of the pieces to this puzzle?" She promptly responded, "It's a super big problem, Mommy!" I couldn't help but laugh. There have been other times, as well, when toy clutter got out of control, and I made Ava put them all away herself. I have to handle those times carefully by breaking it down into small parts for...