3 tips to inspire your children to keep their room clean
How was your bedroom when you were young? Mine was rather messy, but I think, even with hindsight, I could find pretty much everything I was looking for despite the chaos. When I had to tidy my room, I gently used the bottom of my wardrobe to store everything that was lying on my floor (and the underside of my bed, too, occasionally). With this information, you will understand that I never really found that I was in a super good position to force my children to keep their own room clean; However, after several times stumbling over a toy, the desire to inspire them to tidy up from time to time was definitely at the rendezvous!
3 tips to inspire your children to keep their room clean
As the popular sing-song “Clean up Your Room” never really worked with me, it’s not that kind of inspiration I wanted for my kids. With them, I know it for sure, it takes at least two conditions; they have to understand WHY they are doing something and they have to catch some FUN while doing it. Here are 3 tips to inspire your kids to keep their room clean!
#1. Security
When someone in the house gets hurt because of a toy lying around, I point out that the “ouch” could have been avoided. Not to create a feeling of guilt, but simply to serve as a reminder that if the toy had been put away, the pain would not be present. After several incidents (minor for the most of it), my boys begin to understand the “why”.
#2. Special tools
I am one of those lucky people who does not have to ask the children to help out with the housework. Why? Because when I do housework, I try to catch some fun and the children notice it. I say aloud what goes through my mind; how I like to see the room cleaner, how the air will be much better without dust, etc. I usually have good music playing while I dance a bit. And most importantly, I have special TOOLS! You know; the vacuum cleaner, the broom, a duster, a rag … if I offer all these to my children to clean their room, they feel really spoiled! Because they know that these are things that I use myself in catching fun … and because it’s special, we do not take them out every day!
#3. Challenges
Finally, without creating too much competition, I like to launch challenges in which I also participate. If the kids have played blocks and the floor is filled with them, I will challenge them to pick up as many blocks as possible in a given time. They practice counting at the same time, a two for one! And I repeat it so that it is clear: I participate! I embark on the challenge, I pack up the toys too. After all, they always offer me a hand when I clean the house, I give back by giving a hand when they put away their toys. With this stuff, your child’s room will not be clean as new, but it will become so, little by little, and tidier. Then, when everything is tidy, it’s so much easier to keep the room clean! A little sweeper (that the kids may want to do for themselves), cleaning the dust and little fingers on the walls and a regular change of bed sheets and voila!
Marie Noëlle Marineau
Editor for www.marginaleetheureuse.com
