Do you know the feeling? You are trying to get your children to clean their room but it feels more like you are trying to herd cats. They do everything but what they are supposed to do. Every toy is suddenly their favourite and the ever-dreaded nap suddenly seems like a good idea to them. With a few simple guidelines, there is hope for a clean room and help from your little one!
Be a leader. Do not just tell them to go clean their rooms – actually go in there with them and help. If you are supervising, then they are less likely to cram things under the bed or in the closet. Suggest one task at a time and work on it with them.
Practice what you preach! It will do you no good to demand that they clean their room and keep it clean if you do not do the same. Lead by example. If your room gets messy (and it will!), let them know that you have realized it and will be straightening it.
Organization is the key. Everything has a place… you just have to figure out where that place is! Start small by sorting items such as toy cars, books, etc. Once this is done, you can put things in a specific spot based on how you sorted them. This will make future clean up much simpler!
Family assistance. If the whole house needs attention or if siblings have equally messy rooms, let everyone work on one room at a time! You might even consider a little friendly competition.
Purge. If the clutter is extreme and there are toys that are not being touched, it is a great time to get rid of them. You can put them up for sale, donate them to charity or plan a toy swap with friends! If your children are suddenly partial to every toy, this may be something that is best tackled while they are at school or taking a nap!
Document the miracle that has occurred! Snap a photo of the room before you start and after you finish to show them what a difference it made. This will also give them a sense of pride because they helped! Even better, let them share that sense of accomplishment (and the proof!) with grandparents in a personalized card from Sendcere.
You remember what it was like as a child… your definition of clean and your parents’ definition of clean were two different things! Keep this in mind the next time you trip on a pair of shoes or graciously slide across the room on a Lego.