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Keeping the kids rooms clean and organised can be a struggle. However following a few of the tips below should help you gain control back in their rooms.
- Put a bin in their rooms so they can throw away rubbish properly and conveniently rather than throwing it on the floor.
- Create a home for everything, makes it easier for the kids to know where their items belong.
- Label containers, this will make it easier for them to return everything where it belongs.
- Just before you finish making dinner ask the kids to start packing up their toys, reminding them to do it tidily. Tidying up before dinner rather than bedtime will prevent screaming matches as they will be tired and ready to snuggle up rather than tidy up.
- What works for one may not work for another. Know your child and their ability and desire to keep their room tidy. Each of my children are very different:
- Perfectionist – Miss 6 keeps her room tidy and wardrobe spotless, she would happily put a book on her shelf in height order so it steps down neatly.
- Lazy but tidy – Mr 8 keeps his room tidy, nothing on the floor or on top of drawers and returns everything back to its home, however ‘home’ is hidden chaos.
- Hoarder – Miss 8, is a hoarder, finds it hard to let go of anything including toy packaging and cute tags on clothes. She has a lot of ‘stuff’.
Determine your child’s style it will be easier for you to gain back control of their room.
Perfectionist
It’s more than likely that their room is rarely messy and everything has a place, making this room easy for you to keep clean and organised.
Lazy but tidy
Hidden storage ideas work best, with easy access compartments for items to be placed into. Take 15 minutes each week to organise these areas to your liking.
Hoarder
Time is needed with this little one. Together with your child go through the whole room from top to bottom, take a gradual approach 15-30 minutes each day. Consider:
- Take photo’s of the much-loved pieces of paper that they can’t part with, showing them that they still have a visual reminder of them (more to come this month on storing kids artwork). Then recycle papers.
- Ask them to throw all rubbish items like packaging in the bin. Next purchase stipulate they can play now but it needs to be put in the bin before they go to bed.
- Try and reduce the amount of excess Barbie/trucks and cars by half. Go through and ask them to pick out their favourite items, which they can keep and you will give the remainder to a little boy/girl who will really enjoy them.
