How do you get a four year old girl to clean her room?

Question

My 4 year old daughter wont pick up her toys in her room,she alyways wants help and nothing works for me.

Answer 1

Give her a timer, tell her it has to be done or what is left on the floor will go in the garbage. Follow through with it. You won't have problems ever again.

Answer 2

My niece is only 2 but we told her that when she doesn't pick up her toys, they will go in the trash. The one time that she wouldn't pick them up, we put everything that was on the floor in a trash bag and put it in the garage for a couple of months. She soon got the hint and started putting her toys away. She still leaves a few things out but almost all of the toys are put away at the end of the day.

Answer 3

Certainly your 4 year old child wants help to clean up her room. You must remember that she is only 4 years old and she is learning to accept responsibility. It is your responsibility to teach her. Children learn from their parents (both good and bad behaviour).
YOU MUST NOT SHOUT OR SCREAM AT YOUR 4 YEAR OLD. Make it a fun time for her.Or course, if the child is tired she will not be responsive. Don't be too demanding and suddenly from out of nowhere say in a loud or demanding voice, "Suzie, go and clean up your room." If you take this approach your child will become defensive. Give your child time to respond. Say, "Suzie, it will soon be time for you to help mommy to clean up your room". Then after 5 - 10 minutes say, "When you finish what your are doing, I want you to help me clean up your room." Then when your child has finished, say, "Let's go and clean up your room" Then make it fun. Have a race to see who can pick up the most toys. (Of course your 4 year old will win) Then phraise her for being a good girl, tell her she really did a great job and that you are proud of her.
Remember, "you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinigar."

Answer 4

Kids need to be taught to clean their room, which i am sure you have done.

Some kids don't like to do things alone, and have to be "helped" I would help, then every couple of days stop helping so much, until eventually your child is doing all of the work, and you are sitting on her bed talking to her. After that you can transition her to doing it all by herself.

Trust me, Teach her NOW, as I am doing for my 2 1/2 year old. I have a 16 year old who's room has been declared a national security risk, I do not step in there. Thanks to God it is upstairs, and I don't have to see it every day.

Answer 5

First of all its normal for your daughter to fight you on this. I have a 3 and a half year old daughter who doesn't want to clean up her toys every day. In the end she does and she even makes her toddler bed every morning. Of course I don't expect perfection and I always notice and say what I see with out using judgement words like "good job" instead I encourage the behavior by saying "You did it! I see no toys on the floor your bed is made ! it's clean! " I want her to do it for herself and not for me. When she takes out alot of toys and gets overwelmed I help her out by giving her a choice, "do you want to pick up the small blocks or large blocks?" I set the example by helping her sort out the toys. I lead and guide her as to where to store the toys. Other times like in the morning when we make our beds and clean our rooms (morning routine IMPORTANT) We race to see who finishes first of course I let them win. But for the most part I race with my six year old. My 3.5 year old doesn't want to race It's to stressfull for her. When they don't want to do their room and complain that they are tired, I say , "O,K. Well I'm going to go make breakfast and as soon as you are done you are more than wellcomed to come join me." Getting their room done is a contingency and getting breakfast is a choice they control and get when ever they want. Notice how I'm not saying or threatening, "you better get your room cleaned or else you won't get breakfast." or using it as a reward "If you get your room cleaned I will give you breakfast." These two ways of saying it gives the power to the parent instead of the child. It doesn't teach responsibility.

Answer 6

You have to help her. She's not old enough to clean an entire room by herself without step by step instructions. Break it into small steps. "Let's start by putting those dirty clothes in the hamper. Ok, now those blocks need to go in the pink box. Great! Where should the dolls go now?" If you interact with her and praise her as she goes, you both might enjoy it.

Answer 7

If she won't do it at all, take her hands, put a toy in them, walk her to her toy box and make her drop it in. I had to do that with one of mine. It could be a little overwhelming for her too, if she has too many toys. Try clearing some of them out.

Answer 8

You are too soft with her , and she knows it, totally agree with the other answer , ask her nicely but stern to clean her room if not it all will be in a bin . And make sure YOU DO AS YOU SAID .

Also loss of priviliges works ( and again keep to your word )

It worked with mine.
Good luck

Answer 9

my children do the same thing. i think it is that they don't want to be alone more than they want help. just sit in their room, throw a couple toys in the toy box, and encourage her.

Answer 10

make it fun, have her sing the clean-up song, "Clean-up, Clean-up, Everybody Clean-Up!!" She'll love it. and it should turn into a game, as she picks up and puts things away she should sing that.