How To Get Your Kids To Keep Their Bedrooms Tidy

Kids are brilliant - but they are not so brilliant at keeping their bedrooms tidy.

Kids usually love nothing more than throwing their clothes on the floor and think nothing of eating in their room before leaving the remnants of it for days to grow god knows what! All is not lost though. There are some ways that you can get your kids to keep their bedrooms tidy - here, we give you the tips you need to know:

How to get your kids to keep their bedrooms tidy:

  1. Give them a simple schedule for their bedroom wall.

    Sometimes (for older children) giving them some simple instructions goes a long way in encouraging them to do what is expected of them. You don’t have to overcomplicate it, but you could print a few schedule points that they know they should do every morning. These could include: 

    Make your bed.
    Put dirty clothes in the laundry basket.
    Put away clean clothes.
    Put the rubbish away. 
    Put dishes or cups downstairs.
    Put toys away.

    These things aren’t overly complicated, but it is important that you make your child stick to the schedule once they are up. It is all about getting them into the habits that are vital to ensure they do as you expect. Don’t let them away with not making their bed or putting clothes away. Make sure the directions are clear so they know what to do and when. 

  2. Help them to start with.

    To be fair, children need time to understand what they need to do, and it may take them time to master it. For younger kids, it is good to start small and not be overly hard on them so they can learn as they go. Older kids may need some help regarding folding clothes or learning how to make their bed. Give them the time to work on it but then let them do it themselves and unsupervised. 
    How To Get Your Kids To Keep Their Bedrooms Tidy

  3. Keep at them.

    Instead of going into their bedroom and popping their clothes away, ask them to do it. Refuse to let them sit and do nothing or give you hassle for expecting them to do it. Tell your child these things are important, and they must do them. No excuses!

  4. Have consequences.

    If your child is going to learn about doing things for themselves and the importance of keeping their bedroom tidy, then you must enforce consequences for when they fail to do it. Ban their phone or a device till they get their bits done. In fact, you could offer a trade-off, giving them their device when things are done. 

  5. Offer rewards.

    When your child does a good job, you need to let them know how good they have been. Rewards don’t have to be gifts or pocket money but instead, it can be a day out, a movie at home or playtime. Praise works too as consistently children seek their parent’s approval, so if they keep their bedroom clean make a fuss of them and show your appreciation. 

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Emma Hayes

Emma Hayes is a busy mum to two girls aged 17 and 11 and is married to her childhood sweetheart.

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