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Introduction:

Ever wondered why toddlers seem to have a knack for turning drawers upside down or turning them all over your kitchen? We have really hit that stage now and I am sure you are all familiar with the scene too. As parents, witnessing their fascination with everyday objects, particularly the habit of emptying drawers, can be both endearing and, at times, challenging. In this blog post, we’ll chat about why our little ones can't resist the urge to empty those drawers and, surprisingly, why it's a good thing for their growth.

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Curiosity and Exploration:

Toddlers and Their Inherent Need to Discover

Toddlers are on a quest for knowledge, and their favourite playground is often the household. Emptying drawers becomes a hands-on way for them to explore different textures, shapes, and sizes. It helps them understand their environment and to develop important concepts. 

Baby start this skill by picking things up, looking at them closely, putting them in their mouth but then around 9 months, they begin dropping objects into containers and dumping them out. In the blog post “How Dumping and Filling Up Containers Helps Your Child Learn” Babysparks.com lists the skills it helps to develop as

• Fine Motor Control

• Cognitive Skills, such as cause and effect and problem solving skills

• Hand-Eye Coordination

• Maths Concepts - such as learning how much a container holds etc

• Focus and attention span

Below we will look at a couple of these in a bit more detail. 

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Sensorimotor Development:

Fine-Tuning Skills for a Lifetime

Beyond the adorable mess, there's a method to the drawer-emptying madness. The act of pulling, grasping, and sorting objects contributes significantly to their sensorimotor development. It is pivotal in refining their fine motor skills, as picking up and putting in a container requires control, or using different sized containers or objects require different holds etc. So building towers and destroying them is actually educational but also super fun! 

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Cause and Effect:

Early Lessons in Consequences

Discover how emptying drawers offers toddlers a front-row seat to the world of cause and effect. As they watch objects spill out, they're not just creating chaos – they're absorbing valuable lessons about the consequences of their actions. 

I find this concept quite interesting to watch as it usually causes me to get frustrated haha. Yes emptying my drawers every day is a little frustrating, it's the chucking things off the high chair that gets me. My Son likes to look me straight in the eye and throw his milk off the edge and then laugh. But he is starting to learn about gravity, whether he can get things back on his own, and this is problem solving so it’s so important. It teaches me patience. 

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Independence:

Asserting Autonomy through Exploration

Toddlers are asserting their independence, and those open drawers are their way of making choices and taking control. As a parent, it is amazing how fast you jump through the different stages of your newborn to baby to toddler and very quickly your little one starts to want some kind of independence. They want to show you who they are and it is hard for us as we are wanting them to grow and to learn for themselves but at the same time we want to keep them safe and controlled. Unfortunately it is a little crazy to think we can get them to do what we want and as we can see it is important for their development to be allowed the freedom to explore and play. 

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Managing the Drawer Drama:

Surviving the Toddler Tornado

Now that we've cracked the code behind drawer-emptying, it's time to talk strategies. 

We have toddler proofed some of the cupboards with Toddler Proof Cupboard Locks and for the drawers he can reach, I’ve just made sure there is nothing in there that is dangerous or breakable and I just let him go with that. 

I did recently buy the b.box Connect A Cup to stop the sippy cups from being tossed all over the place and that’s fun.

And I also stopped eating my food any place he can grab it, I now just sit at the table then if he wants some (which is all the time) he is not swiping my plate or going to grab a hot drink or something. 

What are your toddler proofing strategies??

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Conclusion:

Embrace the Mess – Celebrating Toddler Curiosity

In a world of scattered belongings, there's a toddler discovering the wonders of their surroundings. Embrace the drawer-emptying phase as a delightful chapter in their journey. Understanding their motives has helped me and lets us create a space that encourages exploration while ensuring safety.

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Share your experiences! How do you manage your toddler's drawer-emptying adventures? Join the conversation and connect with other parents in our community.

References:

https://babysparks.com/2019/10/28/how-dumping-and-filling-up-containers-helps-your-child-learn/

https://inspirationlaboratories.com/importance-of-destructive-play/