Tell me, what does it look like right now in your child’s bedroom or playroom? Are there toys, books and games strewn about everywhere? How can you get your kids to be more organized and keep their rooms clean? Here are some tips that you can try.
Make it easy
The easier you make having an organized room, the more likely it is that your kids will maintain it on their own. After all, if a project is overwhelming wouldn’t you want to avoid it at all costs? Some things that can make it easier for kids to clean their rooms are:
Having zones. Create separate areas for play and study and keep things that work together in the same space. When my eldest son was small, I created a little reading nook on the floor next to the area where we stored his books.
Having designated places. Instead of asking your child to clean his room, tell him to put everything in its home. Use bins, shelves, drawers and other storage areas to organize and then label everything. Make sure that all of the belongings fit where they need to go. Knowing where to put something can be half the battle for kids and cleaning up.
Having a cleaning schedule. Whether you need the room cleaned once a day or once a week, establish a schedule and stick with it. Some natural clean up times include after dinner, before bedtime and on Saturday mornings.
Consequences
Now that you have your tools in place for helping your kids clean their room, you’ll want to establish the rules and the consequences if they don’t comply. Make sure that your kids are capable of what you ask and then stick to the consequences. In my house for example, anything that is not put away on Fridays in my eldest child’s room is fair game to be taken away. Later, if he is consistently keeping his room clean, I will sell him back his stuff in exchange for chores or money he has earned from extra chores.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.
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