10 Clever Tips for Getting Kids to Clean Their Rooms

Every kid is different when it comes to the amount of filth they are willing to live in.  I, however, can’t stand to walk by a room in a state of chaos.  When the kids were younger, I could get by for awhile by just shuting the door and ignoring the problem, but eventually, the fact the HH and I paid the mortgage won out, and it was time for them to clean up.  As with everything in life, it is always a little bit easier when you take a funner/more clever approach.

Here’s a couple of tips to help you get the tidy home you want, without become the enemy:

1. For little ones, get a mini shopping cart.  Each day, set aside some time for them to take the cart through their room {and the house, if necessary}, putting misplaced toys in the shopping cart.  Then, have them unload their cart in their proper places {emphasize that it is just like you put away the groceries}.
2. Use logic against them.  Let them know that you’ve noticed they have soooo much stuff, they can’t seem to keep it tidy, and that you would like to help them out by helping them get rid of some of it.  Tell them to go through it, and that you will be back in an hour with a donation box.  You’ll be amazed at how resourceful they become at finding a place for things…or you’ll feel great about the generous donation your are about to make to a local charity 🙂
3. Turn it into a game.  Turn on their favorite song and say, “let’s see how much you can clean up by the end of this song.”
4. If toys are spilling out of their bedrooms and onto the floors, pick them up and put them in a box.  When/if they ask where something went, explain that you had to pick it up, and now you are tired, so if they would like to do something to earn their toys back and help you out, they are welcome to.  It’s win-win.  Their room will be tidy, and you may get a dusting or vacuuming job out of the deal.
5. Live with a little bit of chaos.  Establish regular pick-up times and tolerate the in-betweens.  When kids have to keep things perfect all of the time, they resent picking up more.  When they know that they have a little wiggle room all day, but will have to pick up every evening at 7:00 [or whatever}, they are more willing to comply.
6. Show them how.  Instead of saying, clean your room, show them how to organize.  Clothes get folded and put away.  Barbies go in this bin.  Cars go in that one.  Sorting seems totally logical to us, but in the mind of a kid, picking it all up off of the floor might be all it takes to get the job done.
7. For older kids, draw up a contract of bare minimums.  These are the minimum things you require daily, and in return, you will not nag or pester them, except for maybe a once a month clean-up.  Decide what your minimums are.  Maybe they just have to have the bed made and dirty clothes in the hamper.
8. Buy less.  This one might seem like a no-brainer, but seriously, sometimes kids have too much stuff.  From a kid’s point of view, it’s awesome to have every toy ever made, but the reality is that it is impossible to keep things tidy if you have too much stuff.  Help them de-clutter so that pick-up time isn’t that much of a chore.
9. Schedule clean-up around something fun.  “It’s time to read a book, go to the park, etc., but first we have to clean-up.”  Even kids need a little motivation.
10. Create a reward system.  For older kids, allowance might be the way to reward.  For younger kids, make a little basket of rewards.  Maybe it has stickers, a small toy, or a homemade coupon to do something they love {i.e. you will push them on the swing for 10 minutes, or they can watch their favorite show, etc.}.  Let them know that if they clean up without complaining for so many times in a row {choose a number that is age appropriate}, they can pick from the basket.

How do you get your kids to clean their room?

~Mavis