At what age should children be responsible for cleaning their own rooms?

Answer 1

My 5 year old does hers.

My 3 year old has to do it also, but with my help.

Answer 2

The first time that my daughter made her bed, the job became hers. She is 8 but has been responsible for the daily cleaning since she was 5. Keep in mind that at 5 I was not hard on her. The bed, although "made" did not always resemble what you and I think of as the perfectly made bed. Sometimes things are still put in the wrong drawer or get missed all together. Remember that it is just a new skill such as reading. You continue reading to your children long after they know how to read because it helps them with comprehension and a better understanding of context. I still clean up my daughters room with her any where from twice a week to once every other. It is just on a need based time schedule. Sometimes she needs to see the order of the drawers done really well to emulate that. That is what I am here for. Remember also that they really do love to help out when they are young. It gives them a since of belonging.

Answer 3

Before my children started kinder, I taught them to pick up their own messes. This is showing them that leaving things around is disorderly and accidents can happen. As I almost fell over a toy to show them what will happen.
My son has 3 boys. One is in first grade, the second is 2 years old and the baby is only 6 months old. The one in school was taught at the age of 2 to pick up his mess. It was easy, he learned fast and he does pick up his own room. Now at his age of 6 years old, he has all his dvd's, game discs and cd's stored in the bottem cabinet where his tv and play station are. His father is a carpenter and make furniture and taught him how to store and save all the discs in the special storage place under the tv. There he has them all and he is very picky too. If one comes to visit and wants to play a game they have to ask my grandson for permission because he says he does not want to have his things lost or ruined. This may sound exaggerating but his play station is 2 years old and that and the games are like brand new with not a scratch on the discs. The tv is off when not in use and he does not put the volume up loud either.
It is a matter of teaching when they are very young so as they grow older then there is not problem later.

Answer 4

My 6 and 7 year old are soley responsible for their room and their belongings. On cleaning day while I am cleaning the rest of the house they are in there cleaning the room. Now by cleaning I mean picking up the toys and making their beds. I dust, sweep, and mop. But if they are not done by the time I am ready to come in I sweep everything up off the floor that they have not picked up and throw it away. I havent had to throw much away cause I give them fair warning. But they have been cleaning their room since they were 3 and 4.

Answer 5

My 4 year old is responsible for his room, we started teaching him how to keep it clean as soon as he was able to help...Even when he was crawling when it was time to be done with his toys we had him go get them and put them away in a basket, we made it like a game, cheering when the toys were put back and thanking him for being a big helper...

It is not always perfect, but that is not the goal...The goal was responsibility...He has a specific job to do, he should do it and try to do it a best he can...

Answer 6

I have an 8, 6, and 3 year old. All are responsible for cleaning their own rooms, to some degree. The older two put away clean clothes, make their beds and clean up toys. Usually I have to follow behind on the bed making and clothing being put away. The 3 yr old has to put his toys away and puts his stuffed animals on his bed after I make it. All three started putting toys away as soon as they were walking (with my help)

Answer 7

My 1 and 3 year olds help clean their room.

Answer 8

As soon as my children were old enough to make the mess I had them work with me in cleaning up their mess. We would go about the room and put everything back in the toybox together, when they are so small they see it as a game and something else that's fun to do. It also instills good habits from an early age.

Answer 9

as soon as they are old enough to take the toys out of the toy box they can be taught to put them back. Of course you will still need to help them. I make a game out of cleaning with the little guy I babysit. We race to pick up the toys and whoever wins gets a special treat. I keep good healthy snacks around for the treat. I let him win most of the time but sometimes I win the race.

Answer 10

I start early in having kids help me clean up their toys, even my 15 month old niece considers it a game. As they get older, maybe around 5, putting toys and stuffed animals away by themselves. I'm not a stickler for bed making, that starts more around 8-10 for me, but as long as the room looks presentable it's good.

Answer 11

Start early and make it a play/game...at a year and a half a child who is able to put a toy inside something larger, like a box, can pick up and drop toys into a toy box at the end of the day....you must make it part of the routine and make it play such as singing a song while you go, even if it's made up and silly -my kids and I used to sing "Clean up, clean up, everybody clean up. Clean up, clean up...yes it's fun! Clean up, clean up, everybody clean up, clean up, clean up, til it's done!" The key when they are that young is to do it with them and make it a game....

Little kids, especially little girls, like to copy Mama..little boys ditto with Daddy. Make sure they see both of you pick up after yourselves...point it out verbally by saying..."Well, I better put this away." so they can hear you. With things they can help with such as dusting table tops-with no collectables or breakables on it....offer it to them. You'd be suprised how they'll follow you around. When you load a dish washer, rinse and offer thing such as plastics that they can put in-while you are there....
As they get older, they can start making their own beds....an eight year old is capable of this, but don't expect perfection.....and leave however they do it (unless it's a deliberate rush job such as pulling sheets over the pillow in one felled swoop) no matter how imperfect..as long as the effort is there the style will improve with practice. And as always, toys and art projects. Scraping plates and putting them in the sink...not throwing tell them this is a dinner plate and they are not launching a projectile, can be started as soon as they can be trusted not to break anything.
Hanging up clothes...dirty clothes in hampers...used towels where you want them...these a child is capable of doing by the time they hit kindergarden but make sure they can reach without climbing where you want these items....kid friendly coat stands, closet clothing rods hung at kid height will make it easier for them. have a designated place to keep outside shoes and have them put them there as soon as they come in the house, even if you have to remove them for the child...hand them off and have the little one put them where they belong....losts of constant praise until they hit the grammer school, by then it should be expected of them.....keep consistant and remember kids will backslide so don't take it personally....and remember like adults some are natural neat-niks and others....''oh my......"