Kids and there rooms?

Question

Ok, I have four kids. Ages 9,6,5,3 soon to all be having birthdays. They will not keep there rooms clean. They look like pig stis unless i clean them. Is this ever going to get better? I clean everyday and do at least 2 loads of laundry everyday. I am stressed trying to always pick up after everyone. I feel that I am totally disrepected by the kids and husband just trashing everything all the time. Will the kids ever keep there rooms clean or is this going to get worse as they turn into teenagers?

Answer 1

Start putting things they leave out in "jail". Get a box & put the things in them. To pay the bail to get their things back they have to clean their rooms.

Answer 2

There are many ways to deocrate without buying things. FIrst, determine what the kid likes and use that as a template for the room....if it is a sport, then theme it with items related to the sport. There is no harm in placing items like golf clubs, tennis rackets, etc on the walls as part of a decorating touch. Next, see what accent piece you might have in other rooms of the house that would go with the theme. You may be surprised to find a side table or lamp that is in one romm will actually work better in the target room. Third, see if you have old useable paint for painting accents. if you do, then touch up using one of the many faux methods we see and hear so mich about. Finally, let your child have some input. It is their room, you know. Let hem ask grandma for the item you wouldn't buy. Relatives always come through! Scott in NY

Answer 3

Honestly- your kids are never going to clean their rooms. Why should they when you do it for them?
But if you really want them to I would suggest this, they do not get to "watch tv, go on the computer, play outside, etc, etc, etc" until their room is clean.
If they chose not to clean their room then they do not get to do the things they want.
Keep in mind that you may have to ease up on your standards. Since they are all still fairly young, their idea of clean is not going to be the same as theirs.
To help them you ou can give them a list of specific things you want done:
make the bed
laundry in the hamper
toys in the toybox or on shelves
clean clothes in the dresser/closet
all trash thrown away

If all this fails, just close their bedroom doors!

Good luck

By the way I did this with my kids who are now 13 and 14 and they do an excellent job of keeping their rooms clean. My older daughter is a neat freak. My 13 year old daughter is a bit messier, but will clean it up in a heartbeat when I say to.

Answer 4

The 9,6 and even 5 year old could help somehow. Make them pick up their toys or tell them that you are going to throw them away and that you won't buy them any more. Put hampers in their rooms and tell them when they take their dirty clothes off that they are to go into the hamper and not on the floor. Put up a chart in the kitchen and make each child do something every day from it, at the end of the week reward them with going to get a Happy Meal or a small allowance. If they don't do it then stick to your guns about the rewards. Start them now or you can forget about later.

Answer 5

Honey give up, well I know you cant but I have three sons 16,11,8 they all have their own rooms(in the hopes of making less mess with more space) They are horrible at all stages, the only difference is when I tell my 16 year old that if his room isnt clean, he cant go anywhere in his car, works evertime. I use this method on all three and if it fails to work, I tell them fine I will clean their rooms and when I do it, I always bring in three garbage bags for each room and I am not finished until they are full, they hate it when I do it now. I still have to dust and vacumme properly but it has helped for the most part. Good luck

Answer 6

It will get worse unless you give them some incentive to clean up. Perhaps a reward chart for every day of the week that there room is clean. If it is clean for a whole week they get a prize.

However if your husband is as bad as them it is hardly surprising they are following his example. So maybe a word with him will help as well.

Answer 7

i know what you mean. my kids are 9,7,4,and almost 2. the only job that they have is being a kid and cleaning there rooms. when it comes to their rooms i don't touch them. they make their beds,pick up toys,put away their cloth and throw away the trash. they do this every night before they go to bed. if they choose not to the they get there privileges taken away for a day. after doing nothing all day long they have learned it is easier to spent maybe 1 hour on their rooms cleaning that way they can be kids and play after wards.

Answer 8

they get better but have you tried to go strike like I did a whole week of nothing nada even my husband was like a little help and guess what it worked and they all helped clean up as much as will kill you not to clean but they must learn you are not the maid if they start to question after the fact of you announcing you are on strike you must announce every time that the maid has left the building if they want you to help they must help you first. good luck for it was easy but they learned and now they clean there own rooms with out me saying anything.....How wonderful!!1

Answer 9

Speaking as a messy person you have to make a stand as soon as possible. Stop cooking and cleaning and doing laundry, don't give your kids allowances, don't let them play video games or visit their friends. Continue this until they start to help out with house work. As long as you allow this to happen they will continue being messy, there is no way this improves without you doing something.

Answer 10

All having birthdays soon eehh? Buy them organisational supplies and shelves and labels. Tell them if they want toys 4 Christmas and next B'day they will put good use to this years b'day gifts. Also, 4 lil ones it's best just too not leave all the toys down where they can get too them all at once.