My attempt at getting Miss 7’s room tidy
Miss 7 is quite the hoarder, she can’t throw or part with anything, she keeps every single bit of paper that she uses or brings home from school. She has a gorgeous room but sometimes it is hard to see amongst all the mess she keeps. This week her father and I asked her to tidy her room, this was our struggle:
Day 1 – didn’t tidy room, was too busy playing
Day 2 – didn’t tidy room, again too busy playing
Day 3 – I asked her to tidy her room, she was in their for 1 hour tidying, when I went in to check nothing was different. We then had lunch, went out for awhile, returned home swum in the pool and showered. She asked me, can I watch TV. I reminded her that her room needed tidying (blank look on her face). So I asked Miss 7, you have 2 choices you may watch TV or tidy your room, but remember there may be consequences as we have asked you for day’s to tidy your room…..she chose to watch TV, I was so angry, but kept my cool.
Hubby arrived home, together we took a big container (it needed to be big with all her ‘stuff’) and picked up everything that was on the floor, all over her bed, all over her chest of drawers, all over her desk. And casually walked it all down to our bedroom.
When it was bedtime she went into her room and noticed, it was tidy, firstly thinking ooh great mummy tidied it for me…but then, she noticed that her favourite teddy she sleeps with was missing (this was heartbreaking to see her so upset). Then her ipod, her Hannah Montana barbie, her handbag, she stated noticing it was all gone. She was just so devastated. I sat with her, didn’t yell at her for the choices she made, but explained that it isn’t my responsibility to clean her room, but i will not allow her to keep it in that state. I have taken everything that was out of place and after 2 days of keeping a tidy room she can take one toy from the container. Each day after she can remove a toy for keeping a tidy room. However…if there is a day that it is not tidy, I will remove a toy from the container and donate to charity.
Hmm…was this approach too brutal? Boy I felt it was at the time as I felt her heartache, but we stuck to our guns and it has worked so well. She has kept a tidy room everyday and has received quite a few things back. We have since sat in her room together and she recognised that she does have too many things and we will go through her room together and giveaway some items.
