Does Dumping Make You Cringe?

Does dumping make you cringe? 😬If so, you’re not alone.

Around our little ones’ first birthdays, they become very interested in dumping items. To many parents’ dismays, the dumping and filling phase lasts for a while—pretty much all of toddlerhood. And while it can definitely be triggering for us as adults, dumping actually teaches children A LOT:

• Cause and effect

• Hand-eye coordination

• Problem solving

• Early Physics skills like gravity and force

• Strengthening motor skills

So if you can, just ride the wave, let the dumping out of all the toys happen, and make a plan for cleaning up with your child. We recently had a major dumping episode here, but part of why I was cool with it was because it kept my daughter engaged for almost 45 minutes. And while it may look to the outside eye like she was just “dumping,” there was actually a whole dramatic play scenario happening. “All these friends are having a dance party!!” she’d say with a big smile each time she added more to the pile. When the play had run its course, Rae was a part of the cleanup process and putting everything back became an activity in and of itself.

Keep in mind that the skill of dumping is mastered before the filling phase. So don’t be surprised to see your child dumping before they fill a container up.

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