Keeping Your Child’s Room Clean

Tripping over clothes or stepping barefoot on LEGOs every day can have even the calmest parent pulling out her hair in frustration. Why can't he just put things where they belong? If you have trouble getting your child to keep his room clean, Lakeland private schools have some advice to help you teach him healthy tidying habits.

Build a Routine
In order for your child to start tidying his room on his own, you have to teach him to make cleaning a habit. If you can structure a daily routine into your child's life, cleaning up won't feel like such a chore. Try building a morning and evening routine. In the morning, have your child make his bed and put yesterday's clothes into the laundry hamper before he goes to school. Before he gets dressed for bedtime, set up an evening routine of picking up all his toys. By establishing these routines, your child will understand that cleaning up should happen every day, not just when Mom or Dad tells him to.

Labels Are Your Friend
When bedtime approaches after a long day, your child may have trouble remembering where everything goes during his evening tidying routine. Labeling storage for specific items makes everything easier when it's time to clean up. For young kids, pictures of socks or dolls work well to signify what goes in each place. When your child begins learning to read, reinforce those skills by printing the words on containers, shelf edges, and drawers. The ability to find exactly where things go will help your child clean up faster, and can even make cleaning feel like a fun matching game.

Try "Teaching Rules"
Children sometimes struggle with tidying because, let's be honest, it's not the most fun thing in the world. If your child refuses to learn the importance of keeping a clean room, a gentle "teaching rule" may be just what you need. For example, explain to your child that, when you come into his room in the evening, for every piece of clothing or toy you find on the floor, he has to go to bed five minutes earlier. Issuing a consequence for an untidy room will reinforce the importance of keeping things clean. If you stick to this rule, after about a month your child will likely have learned the lesson, and you can simply remind him when there are clothes on the floor without having to give the consequence.

At Lakeland private schools, we foster an atmosphere of care and an environment of high expectations and effective discipline. To learn more about what makes us different, contact the Office of Catholic Schools at the Diocese of Orlando by dialing 407-246-4800.