Kerryn Boogaard Kerryn Boogaard
Beverly Goldsmith Beverly Goldsmith
Zoe Bingley-Pullin Zoe Bingley-Pullin

Getting kids to clean their rooms:

How to motivate your child to clean & organise their space.
By Motherpedia
Date: July 19 2014
Tags: kids, cleaning,
Editor Rating:
kidscleaning

Does your child refuse to keep his room clean? If you’ve tried all the usual tactics to encourage your child to keep a clean room without success, you know how frustrating it can be.

Teaching your child to keep a clean room also imparts responsibility and pride in ownership.

Here are some suggestions that may help to motivate your child to clean & organise:

1.  Be a good example for your child

How can you expect your child to keep his room clean if you fail to clean the rest of the house? By keeping your house in good order, you set a strong example for your child to follow. Get the whole family involved in the cleaning process. Turn on some upbeat music when the family is cleaning to turn it into a happy occasion. Never make the mistake of complaining about having to clean the house. This is a form of negative reinforcement.

2.  Have a designated place for each of your child’s toys

Each toy should have its own designated place in your child’s room. Spend some time showing him where each item belongs. Have him repeat back to you each toy’s place so you can be sure he or she understands. Let him know that each toy needs to be in its established spot at the end of each day.

3.  Make cleaning a challenging game

Give your child the challenge of seeing how quickly he or she can clean his room. Set a timer, turn on some lively music, and watch your child go to work. Let you child know that when finished, he or she can go outside and play.

4.  Establish a reward system

Consider giving your child a daily allowance for cleaning his room, rather than a weekly one. Receiving a daily reinforcement if often more motivating than a weekly one. To a young child, a week can seem like an eternity and this may cause them to lose motivation.

5.  Give your child a written list of cleaning tasks to be done

It’s helpful if you post a list of cleaning tasks assigned to your child on a bulletin board so your child can see it on a daily basis. Encourage them to look at the list upon awakening to see what needs to be done for that day. This is a good way to help your child set goals and become more responsible.

6.  Reward your child with privileges as he becomes more responsible

As your child shows the ability to be responsible by keeping his room clean, gradually allow more privileges. Let your child know that by keeping the room clean, he or she's earned them.

7.  Don’t criticise

Avoid making negative statements such as, "You never clean your room like I ask you" or "This room looks like a tractor trailer rolled through it". Use an upbeat, positive tone of voice and tell your child how pleased you were with the job last time he or she cleaned the room.

8.  Give regular feedback

If your child is doing a good job keeping his room clean, let them know on a regular basis. If it doesn't live up to your expectations, give feedback in a positive manner on how it can be better. Make sure your child understands exactly what is expected and how to go about doing it.

100% of Mums Agree0% of Mums Disagree
Share This Tweet This Email To Friend
Recent Comments
0 Total Comments
Post a Comment
* your email address will not appear

Please enter the word you see in the image below:


Post a Comment
* your email address will not appear

Please enter the word you see in the image below:33343


Your Comment has been posted
Related Articles
kids_playing_on_floor
20 minutes a day can help keep your home orderly…
Read more
medicine-cabinet
NPS is urging all Australians to clean out their medicine…
Read more
healthy-lunchbox
10 tips for school lunches.
Read more
friendship
5 tips to support kids in forging & keeping positive…
Read more
Cry babies

Dry your eyes!
The newest additions are on their way from the Babies who cry real tears!

Shipping-containers-freight-wallpaper-preview

Latest Tech Used In Shipping Containers
Read how the shipping industry has revolutionised

Motherpedia cover-2

Win 1 set of a 4-book hardcover illustrated boxed set
Barbara Murray’s new 4-book Sound Stories is perfect for parents and educators and could assist with NAPLAN results

Motherpedia cover (4)

Where to celebrate Oktoberfest Australia
Get ready for this celebration!

Motherpedia cover-4

A Fortnight of Foodie Experiences at East Village
A taste of East Village. What's in it for me?

Globber my too fix up cover

We Try: Globber My TOO Fix Up
A scooter that grows with your child

Throw a winning cricket pitch

3 Steps to a Winning Backyard Cricket Pitch
Ex-Adelaide Oval legend curator Les Burdett shares his tips for getting your backyard cricket pitch test match ready this summer

A bike that follows your kids life cycle - motherpedia - cover

A Bike That Follows Your Kids Life Cycle
Check out the Bunzi 2-in-1 gradual balance bike!

Moonlight lifestyle

Moonlight Cinema to bring…
Moonlight Cinema announces brand new Western Sydney venue

Screen shot 2019-11-26 at 8.29.12 am

Your Magical Christmas Wonderland…
Adventure park is about to light up the night sky with its "Christmas Festival of Lights"

Screen shot 2019-11-21 at 11.11.36 am

The Preston Market Gets…
It's time to feel pumped up for the holiday season!

Bruno-kelzer-zqzuigxcvrq-unsplash

Bunnings team members get…
Help raise funds by buying a snag or donating at your local store.