This is a question I’ve been asking myself recently, as I wade through the mess in the room my 5 and 6 year olds share. As our kids get older we try to teach them about the importance of responsibility and taking pride in their belongings. However, kids want their rooms to be their own messy castles and kids being kids are not always going to enjoy doing things like cleaning their room. It can be a struggle to nicely encourage your kids to clean their rooms. Especially with their persistent whining and getting distracted, it can be easier to just let them have a messy room. It’s no fun yelling and having grumpy kids and what’s even worse is grumpy parents! So why do we do it? We do it because it’s our job as parents to guide our kids and give them the right tools to become a respectful adult. You want them to enjoy their bedroom and be able to express themselves but you also want them to take pride in their room. They need to learn how to take care of themselves and that it’s also important to help out the adults too! So how do we get them excited about cleaning up after themselves? I’ve been researching a few ideas, here are the best I’ve found. Now to implement them!
#1 Establish a routine
Establishing a regular routine means they know what’s coming. Saturday morning they get up, have breakfast and then clean their rooms. That way they have the rest of the day to play and enjoy their weekend. It gives their life some predictability and stability and teaches them a lot about sticking to a schedule. Knowing how to keep their things in order is not only a big help to mum and dad but it also teaches them how to keep their things in order. Insisting they take care of their things regularly is not nagging, we have to teach them to be responsible for their things and encourage them to be organised.
#2 Make it fun
Whistling, chatting or playing some music while working shows them that chores don’t have to be boring. It shows them that there is a certain pleasure to taking care of our things and taking pride in our work. Teaching our kids the importance of cleaning will contribute to the success of their future. However, this doesn’t mean it has to be tedious. Keep it light hearted and you can often make a game out of it. You can often encourage them by saying “the first one to pick up all of their toys and puts them away neatly gets to choose the first game we play outside.” Or, reward them with their choice of lunch (within reason). This doesn’t mean bribing them. It’s showing them that by taking care of their things they can have more control over the things in their life.
#3 Make it their space
Kids who feel like their room is specifically designed for them are more likely to keep it nice. By giving them a choice in how their room looks you’re allowing them to feel involved. Let them choose what they want and where things will be kept. If a child feels a sense of responsibility for a space they will feel as though they have control over something. By providing them with a space that is designed for them and includes their own sized kids furniture, means they will be more inclined to care for that space. Let them choose a few particular pieces of furniture that they would love to have in their room. Give them some say, that way you know they’ll love their room and take more pride in their personal belongings.
#4 Make things clear for them
Kids love direction, especially visual direction. A great way to make things clear is by creating a checklist that they can refer to. A great idea is to get a whiteboard and include their names, a list of chores they have to complete, some pictures and a check box. That way they feel accomplished each time they tick something off their list.
#5 Lead by example
Kids are far more likely to listen to what you’re telling them if you practice what you preach. They are far more sensitive to what we do rather than what we say. If you’re keeping your things in order they’re likely to want to do the same. If you have a positive attitude towards your chores, they will too. Sitting in front of the TV expecting them to clean their rooms is nowhere near as effective as leading by example. Actively helping them or cleaning in other areas of the home will ensure they’re not feeling left out. As they get used to the routine you won’t have to help them as much. You can use this time as conversation time or get some music going and encourage them to get their groove on whilst cleaning, it’ll make the time go faster!
#6 Get rid of clutter
It can become overwhelming for anyone to tidy an over cluttered room. This means keeping the stuff level to a minimum. You can do this by establishing a one in on out rule. Anytime they get something new whether it is a toy or a new dress, an old item must go to charity. Let them do the decision making, this will teach them to make their own decisions. This will keep your kids from feeling overwhelmed with possessions.
#7 Express your appreciation
Finally, make sure you give your child praise for their hard work and express you appreciation. Children like to please their parents so it makes sense that if you show your gratitude for their hard work they’re going to feel appreciated and accomplished. That sense of connection is powerful for them and will motivate them to help you more. Focus on how hard they tried and their efforts rather than the outcome. Ensure you make it about them and their achievements, which will encourage them to push themselves to achieve their goals.
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