Toddler makes Messes

My 3-yr.-old boy deliberately dumps things (toys, building parts, etc. all over the floor, leaves them to go to something else, and ignores my directive to pick up.  He isn't allowed to do something else until he has picked up.  I've stopped repeating the directive (but it's tempting!).  He lies or sits and talks to himself about picking up, but doesn't do it.  What is going on?  How should I handle it?  I know that I shouldn't get angry, but every day is a constant challenge re his doing things he knows not to do.  I spend positive time with him, as much as possible.  Yes, there is a baby --- whom he seems to love, but she does take attention, too!

[jd1419]

Welcome to the terrible three's.  I think they are actually worse than two's at least at two you understand that they are trully still learning and don't understand everything.  At three they carry on conversations and have great understanding of things so they push your buttons more...I am to the point I will threaten to throw out a piece of their toys if they don't pick up and I have done it-so my boys know I mean business....of if it is bedtime and they don't pick up I will let them know they do not get their usual night time movie for bed.  They usually end up picking everything up.  It just takes a lot of repitition and following through on the discipline.

[AHP84]

He's just being a normal 3 yr old. My son does the same thing; he'll make a huge mess of toys, books, clothes, you name it, and most of the time he spends only a few minutes playing in the mess before moving on without picking up.
When I ask him to pick up his mess, he says he will, but he'll either stand there and stare at the mess, he'll pick up one item and put it in another spot (like from the floor to the couch), or he'll start playing in the mess and make a bigger mess.
I don't know a single young child that picks up their mess without complaint the first time they're asked and doesn't need repeated instruction.
If you have to ask him over and over again and follow him around to make sure it gets done, no big deal. That's to be expected. But also give him some goal incentive beyond permission to move on to something else.
For example, tell him if he picks up the mess by the time a song is over, he can get a sticker or a candy. That works for my son. He loves stickers and candy--and I still have to tell him multiple times to get the job done.

[Salyna]

The problem: he's three!  Yep, it's completely normal.  UNFORTUNATLEY!  First, he doesn't have the attention span to focus on a long task such as picking up toys.  I would maybe do the toy pick up at the end of the day together.  Make it fun, like whoever gets their pile of toys picked up first, gets a sticker.  My daughter is now 4, and although the messess have gotten lighter, I'm finally getting her to pick them up.  I wouldn't nag, as it's pointless at this time.  A wise person once told me: You can have either a clean house or a happy family - you can't have both!  Enjoy it for now - one day they won't be around anymore to make messes.