Do you need to tiptoe around to navigate your way through your kid’s room? You are not alone. Most parents complain about their kid’s rooms being so messy that they are unable to walk through them. Perhaps you start out by reminding them gently to clean their rooms. The kids whine, dawdle, get distracted, or outright go on strike. As the day wears on, the reminders get progressively louder and more demanding. 

Parents know it is their job to teach their kids to keep their things in order, but kids want their room to be their own messy castle. They may like the mess because they know where everything is. For others, perhaps they want to be organised but are overwhelmed by the idea of cleaning up. Whatever the cause, there are steps you can take to encourage your child to clean up a messy bedroom.

1. Set a Good Example

Children learn by watching others, retaining this information, and replicating. This is why it is important for parents to set a good example for their little ones. If parents keep their own rooms clean and neat, then it will be easier for children to follow a good example.

Although we may feel that they are not paying attention, kids are sensitive and responsive to what we do and say. What you do on a daily is what they come to see as the norm and expected of them. To make it easier for them to pick up good habits such as keeping their bedroom clean, you can do chores together with them. As they get more comfortable, then you can encourage them to do it on their own. 

2. Make a Checklist

Barking orders is only going to make your kid hostile and angry. They may not even know what a “clean bedroom” means exactly, or even if they do, do they know how to get it to that point? What they need is a clear set of instructions, guiding them step by step to get from a messy room to an organised and clean one. 

A checklist to follow while cleaning their room would make more sense to them. It will teach them both how to clean their room, and how to keep it neat. You can even organise this checklist by parts of the room. Breaking larger tasks down into smaller pieces is helpful for any child. You can include pictures as examples for younger children and instructions with simple words for older children.

3. Make it a Routine

It takes time for a habit to form. Creating a timeslot for cleaning will ingrain this habit into your child to do this daily. Encourage them to start their day off by cleaning their bedroom in the morning. This would help them start the day with a clean room and ensure that the task has been checked for the day. Also, since they have already kept it neat and tidy in the morning, they will feel less inclined to mess it up again throughout the day.

4. Create a Place for Everything

It helps when every toy or book has a home. When their items have their own designated place, it makes it easier for kids to remember where they go. Be it toys, books, or other miscellaneous objects, building up an association between these items and where they belong will go a long way in helping their memory. 

Investing in storage solutions for your kid’s room can kick off the habit of cleaning up for your children. Here at Kids Haven, we have a wide variety of bookcases, toy shelves, and wall racks available for your kids’ rooms. All of which are incredibly helpful for organisation and keeping their rooms neat and tidy. They can store clothes, toys, books, sports equipment, musical instruments, art supplies, and anything else they use often in these storage spaces.

Keeping a room clean does not have to be difficult. Make tidying up easier for your children by shopping at Kids Haven for storage solutions today.