Ashley is a mom of two with another little one on the way. Her oldest daughter--3 and a half--is very helpful with specific tasks when she feels that she’s contributing to the household, but when it comes to picking up after herself she’ll manipulate and lie to get out of it. Ashley is looking for practical tips to discourage this behavior.

In this episode, we talk about getting your kids to clean up after themselves. We discuss the importance of redefining picking up as part of what you’re doing (Mommy picking up her yoga mat is part of doing yoga, and picking up toys is part of playing with them). We talk about the benefits of turning it into a game and the huge perks of using a kitchen timer. We talk about how helpful it can be to do work side-by-side with your child. We also discuss ways to discourage lying and manipulative behavior in general by letting your child know early on that it doesn’t work.