Teaching Children to Keep Their Rooms Clean

Most children would rather do anything but clean their rooms, and it can become a constant battle. Children of all ages seem to have trouble keeping their rooms organized and clean. If you can instill in them the need to keep an organized and tidy room when they are young, it may not be so difficult for them to maintain that cleanliness habit as they grow. Here are a few ideas for helping your children keep their rooms neat and tidy

•Assess The Problem

Understanding why your child doesn’t keep his or her room clean is the first step in helping them. It is not necessarily that your child is not trying. Take some time to check out their room and you may discover that closet shelves or other storage areas are not easy for them to access, especially for young children, or there may not be enough storage space for all their possessions. Storage needs change as children grow. What was sufficient closet space for a young girl may not be enough for the expanding wardrobe and activities of a teenager. Boys may need more room for storing sports equipment and supplies then they do for hanging their clothes. Understanding your children and their storage needs will help you determine the best type of storage for their room.

•Maximize Available Storage Space

Once you know what type of storage your child needs, you should be able to find simple and inexpensive storage solutions. If they need more hanger space for clothing, you can remove the closet shelf and install a second clothes rod. Organizers, such as an over the door shoe rack, are great ways to reduce closet clutter and free up floor space. A full height bookcase to replace a shorter one will add more storage space. Inexpensive storage systems are available that hold colorful boxes or bins and are a great way to keep toys organized. The location of storage shelves and boxes should be geared to the age of the child. The younger the child the lower the storage area should be so that they can easily access them. Shelving for storing toys sometimes works better than a toy box. Consider turning your child’s stack of drawings cluttering a desk into wall art. You can either frame drawings individually in colorful kids picture frames or hang up a corkboard above their desk. With a supply of pushpins they can hang their important papers or pictures within easy reach.

•Help Your Child

Chances are the current condition of your child’s room would be overwhelming for them to tackle cleaning on their own. Be willing to help them get started and make the process fun. Young children like games so make a game of it by taking turns putting items away or count the toys as they pick them up. Teenagers may get excited about a room makeover, so let them take the lead on what type of storage works best for them and allow them to pick out some new room accessories or storage units. Adding a few black picture frames so they can hang their artwork personalizes their room. You may find that it is much easier for your children, no matter what age, to keep their room clean when they have been part of the process in determining their storage needs.