How do I get my children to clean their rooms? They are 14 & 11.?

Answer 1

I think my parents threaten to throw our stuff out or have a garage sale. (threaten to burn it should work, try the others first)

Answer 2

Give them the option, the room stays a mess and they loose privileges. You know what they want and like to do - no TV - NO computer until the room is cleaned. If the get a cash allowance - fine the a $ amount for each item left out. Now if you have never had them clean and have just started asking them to do this it could be hard for them to be organized. Show them how you want it to look - tell them it will be easier to find their stuff and make it more fun for friends to hang out and not have to look at their dirty under clothes. Do not be too picky - bed made and stuff on the shelf & clothing in the dirty clothes basket or in the drawers is a great start! All the BEST!

Answer 3

Children are not born knowing how to clean or organize. It is a learned skill, absorbed through weeks of repetition and following by example.

My recommendation to you would be to sit down with them after dinner and discuss a plan to keep their rooms clean. Create a schedule that is doable for them AND you!

Minimize the amount of stuff they have in their room. Ask them to help you pick out things to give to the children's shelter. You might be surprised by what they are will to part with.

Next create a spot for everything. And I mean EVERYTHING! Your children are old enough to read now, so labeling will help.

Once everything is where it is supposed to be, teach them about cleaning processes and supplies. Many children don't know about sorting laundry, dusting, or even just plain organization. And remember to try to use products that are earth-friendly.

Then after all these lessons, set up a schedule to help them get it right. After one or two months of working with them, they will be used to the process and will be cleaning their rooms on their own before you know it!

Please don't resort to punishing them by taking things away. This will only result in a power struggle and resentment at both you and their rooms!

Good LUCK!

Answer 4

I don't have children, but I hated sleeping in my room when I was little. I was about 13 when I finally started. My mom would let me have friends over on the weekend if I slept in my room at least 2 nights a week, the rest I could sleep in the living room. Then she said 3 nights a week, and then finally I ended up sleeping in my own room all the time.

Answer 5

Get two poster boards and some stickers. Make 14 or 28 squares on it and number them. Tell them each day they clean their room they could put one sticker in one of the squares, and if they fill up the squares (every 2 or 4 weeks, depending on how many squares) they get a prize. You don't have to make the prize anything big, just something they don't get all the time, but really enjoy.

Answer 6

Don't bribe! Just simply start taking things away. If they ask for something like to go to a friends house or to the mall or even outside. Simply ask if their room is clean, if it's not then tell them no. They'll start understanding if their room stays clean they won't have to clean everytime they want to do something.

Answer 7

Find something they really want to do. If they clean their rooms they get to do something they really want to do with in limits. For my kids it was stay up latter at night. Clean room ment one more hour. Dirty room ment one less hour. My daughter wanted her own phone which ment her room had to be clean all the time. It's called give and take. We teach them that everything in life has a price.

Answer 8

You may not. It is in the way you do it. When I was that age all it took was my father saying to me "go clean your room". He was never abusive or mean but he was the boss. That's the bottom line here. You can take away privileges and ground them but I think that it should be one of their chores and should be done w/o harping on them. Call me old fashion but I say "go clean your room" and stick with it.

Answer 9

Here are some things you can try.
Tell them that if they don't clean up their room then you will be forced to put them in the same room. Follow up with inspection schedules. You can also take away their perks. Try Dr Phil website.

Answer 10

Do what I do if they dont clean go in there with the garbage bag and tell them you, you are tired of asking and now the time has come that you will clean it your way and throw all there stuff in a trash bag hide it in the attic or in a closet and let them earn it back!!! Works for mine hehehehe

Answer 11

If you are asking us you probably CAN"T get them to do it. Maybe it is time to shut their doors and let them live in the mess and refuse to go in looking for their dirty clothes and dirty dishes or anything else.

When they ask to do something fun ask, "Did you clean your room like I asked?" and if they say no repeat firmly and with conviction, "Then, no, you can't go to the moon." (or whatever it is they really want to do). Never worked for me with my son but it did with my daughter. She had to wear a sweaty smelly uniform to a cross country meet once because she didn't take her ditry clothes down when I asked her to. it only happened once. I don't think I saw the inside of my son's room the last two years he lived at home.

He's on his own now and is an excellent housekeeper.