Tidying Your Room

Tips for encouraging your children to keep their bedroom tidy!

A messy room is often a typical childhood trait! For Mary Poppins it only took a spoonful of sugar to magically clean a bedroom, but for those of us who aren’t blessed with her special powers these tips will show you how to encourage your children to keep their room tidy, or at least presentable!

Have an incentive. Do they have a friend coming over for a sleepover or to do some homework? They will want to make sure their room is a cosy and inviting place for them to be. Or are they just having difficulty fining their things underneath the knee-high pile of clutter covering their floor? These are all very good reasons to get cleaning!

Help them to decide what is essential and unnecessary in their room. This will help them decide what they want sitting out and what can be stashed away!

Find storage space. Dresser/desk drawers, closets, space under the bed, attics/basements, spare rooms. Whatever works, and put extra stuff there. Have a system for storing clothes, both clean and dirty. If it helps, label drawers with brightly coloured stickers, or pictures for children who can’t yet read, so your kids know exactly where to put things!

Try to encourage them to pick up their stuff. Start with large items first, then move on to papers, etc.

Get them to help you keep the room clean by vacuuming, scrubbing, dusting or whatever else is needed. Getting them involved will make it a family activity. Give them praise and encouragement – it may take longer but will help your child learn confidence and independence.

Make a deal with your child that means they will get a reward for every month their room stays clean and tidy. Even if it is just a small treat – perhaps one our mini monster cupcakes!