Suggestions on creating an organized environment and fun program to encourage keeping your child's room neat.
We've all done it. The nagging voice and pleading with children to clean up their room. It can be a frustrating battle for sure with play vs. clean. Children want to play and dress up, but when it's over and there's a giant mess, they'd rather move on to the next fun thing than clean up. There are ways to make this battle less of a battle and more of a successful and easy adventure for your little one. We have listed some ideas on ways to keep the clutter down and create a clean space.
Accessory and Furniture Storage
The first step for having a clean room is to create a successful environment for organizing all your child's toys and clothes. You're setting a small one up to fail if the right storage isn't provided. Most kid's furniture is specially designed for space minimization and storage. With smaller clothes and toys with tons of pieces, the industry has answered and now designs kid furniture to accommodate children's needs. There are tons of items to choose from and usually it's good to mix and match for extra options. Stack cubbies, bins, and shelving for toys, art items, books, and projects. For the younger ones, take a photo of what you want placed in each individual bin and fasten to the outside so they can play a matching game. Bunk beds, bed with trundles or drawers below are the ultimate space saver and storage option in kid's furniture to maximize space and keep things neat. Many bunk bed designs come with drawers and shelving included or additional pieces to be purchased separately. These items are worth it!
Structure and Habit
You always hear the saying "It takes two weeks to break or make a new habit." This is a true statement. Taking the two weeks to work every day on hanging up and folding clothes along with creating a space for toys and other items will save you tons of conflict and time in the long run. Children crave structure and need to know what is expected of them. They will be more secure knowing that every time they take off a shirt they hang it up instead of sometimes hanging sometimes throwing on the floor. It will become automatic after a while just like putting a dish in the sink when finished with a meal. Their little subconscious takes over and miracles occur!
Chore list and reward system
Every parent has different ideas of what and how to guide children into accomplishing their tasks. Some like the idea of setting up an allowance, and some don't like the idea of paying children to keep their own space clean and want to use allowance for other chores around the house. There's no right or wrong answer on which is best. If you prefer not to use allowance, there are many other ways to encourage them to keep their rooms clean. Depending on age you can set up a reward system with stickers, tokens, or a chart with stars. When they get to a certain amount or meet all your requests, you can take them out for ice cream or agree to play a game. The best reward is your time. Positive reinforcement and recognition goes a long way with children. At the end of the day, children want to make us proud and like to see us happy by their actions. There should be just as big of a deal made in a positive way when they do clean their room, than the negative when they don't.
Live by example
This one seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how many light bulbs turn on when you suggest that a parent live by their own rules. For children it's monkey see, monkey do. If you nag to your children to keep their rooms clean yet you are not, what kind of message does that send? It's a lot easier convincing anyone that something is important when we live by the same rules. Plus, how fair is it to expect your little one to make their bed, when you don't? Enjoy yourself while cleaning by playing music and making chores fun for everyone. These times can be made enjoyable and in the future, your kids will take with them a positive attitude and good outlook on keeping their own home clean.
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