How Can i get my 7 yr. old to become organized in her bedroom & desk?

Question

ive tryed rewarding, taking away, rearranging her whole room, nothing seems to help, seems like the only thing im saying to her everyday is clean your room and she is just walking in circles when she is in there supposely "cleaning" please help

Answer 1

Go in and clean with her. She could be so used to you picking up that she needs your guidance. Start every morning when she wakes up by helping her make up her bed. This creates bonding time because you are working together. Straighten up her room and desk every evening with her before she goes to bed. Make sure she helps you and make it a fun routine. She could feel overwhelmed by doing it herself, and your help will make it not so confusing. I remember doing this with my mom around age six. Eventually I wanted to clean my room on my own to surprise her and also wanted to help her clean around the house. Just remember not to let her trick you into doing all the work, and if she complains about cleaning calmly explain that one day she will have a house of her own and will have to clean it. You cannot always clean up after her, she is a "big girl". I think you are making a good decision in teaching her how to clean up after herself, good luck, and stick with a routine, that's how kids learn best.

Answer 2

I'm 25 and a reformed " unorganized 7 year old". You just have to compromise. My mom tried everything, she even paid me at one point and paid my older brother one other time to get my room clean. Eventually she started taking things away and showing me the importance of a tidy room. When I go older she would ask me to clean up the part of my room that she could see from the hallway and she added a little more each time. Find something she adores and kind of hold as a reward for a clean room.

Answer 3

I say this is a respect issue. I give my 2 daughters many things they desire. Although I have taught them from age 2 that everything has it place. If it is not in its place you get one warning. After that it is taken away for several days.
Bribing is not healthy because it means they listen only when rewarded.
My children are now 4 and 7. My seven year old makes her bed almost everyday. Hangs up her coat and lines her shoes in the hall. She keeps her backpack on a hook so she knows where to find it. Her room has her bed, clothes, stuffed animals, pictures, art supplies and books. I keep the toys and games downstairs. This leaves only large necessities in her room. Make her room her haven for rest and education. I believe that organization in her room stays with her at school. She is a bright shining perfect student as well!

The same goes for my youngest. Although she is too young to make her bed and she is not the age you are worried about.

Answer 4

Try decluttering it. Take as much out of the room as possible. This may mean that you will have to take some of her toys and store them. The less in the room the better. This is especially true for a place where she will be doing her homework (while it should not be that much at 7!). The less there is in her room, the less there is to mess up. Once she is good at putting away what she does have in her room, you can reintroduce some things. It is, however, a good idea to keep the room as clear as possible.

Answer 5

Sometimes my kids just need a little direction. I either go in the room and say pick up all the shoes then the coats and then the barbies or whatever. Or I tell them go look in there what do you see out of place, they come back and tell me I say then start with that until you have nothing out of place.

My sister gives my nephew a tub or bin and tells him fill it up with whats on the floor and then put it away and keep on until the floor is clean.

And bottom line she is 7 and you just have to keep at them every time you see them throw it in their room, say now go put it where it belongs. My oldest is 8.5 and a bit of a slob at heart I was the same way, I just call her on it every time and she smiles and goes and puts it where it belongs.

Answer 6

Make her a list to check off every day: pick up clothes, put away toys, straighten closet, etc. Just telling her to clean it up may be to vague and she just doesn't know where to start or she looks at the whole thing and it seems like SOOO much work. My boys have clear plastic Rubbermaid containers in their closet, each containing a 'set' (cars, superheroes, transformers) and they can only have one out at a time. It makes it more fun for them to play without the mess and it is easy to just scoop everything up and put the box away at the end of the day.

Answer 7

She is only 7 my daughter is 12 and here room looks like a hurricane went thought it as long as she knows were stuff is just let her have her desk and room how she wants it

Answer 8

Try getting her some cool organizer boxes that she can decorate herself and put stickers and pictures of her friends on. Maybe some glitter pens to label them. This might make organizing her room more interesting to her.

Answer 9

I have a 17 yo just like her. I don't know what to do with him, either. We've tried everything, and my husband is pulling his hair out. He just wants the trash off the floor, the clothes off the floor and one vacuum a month.

TX Mom

Answer 10

She's only 7. You can't force a child to do something like this just yet. It's a rare child who is clean and organized. Don't harrass her about it. If you don't like it keep her door closed.