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Kids can accumulate a lot of stuff! As most parents agree, all that stuff makes it really difficult for your kids to keep their room clean. One simple way to make it easy for your kids to keep a clean room is to help them declutter.
How to Get Your Kids to Clean Their Room – Every Time!
Getting your kids to clean their room is a difficult task in itself, so how do you get your kids to tackle such a big task, like decluttering? These simple tips will teach you how to get your kids to clean their room.
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Be Open with Them about How to Clean Their Room
The first step to getting your kids to clean their room is to be open about the process. Explain that you will start by decluttering excess junk.
Discuss how you will go through your kid’s items, what you will do with the things they decide to get rid of, and how you will organize their room after the decluttering is finished.
Related: Top 10 Things Professional House Cleaners ALWAYS Do
Teach Kids to Declutter When Cleaning Their Room
Tell them that the process will begin by removing everything from their room so they can get a good look at each item. Then, they will decide which things they’ll keep, what they’ll throw away, and which items they’ll donate.
If your kids understand how the decluttering process helps them to more easily clean their room, they’ll be more likely to be on board. Knowing they’ll have a say in where their discarded things go and how everything will be organized will ensure they’re excited about cleaning their room.
Trash/Donations Are a Part of Cleaning Their Room
When you are learning how to get your kids to clean their room, it’s important to take steps to make things stick. One of these steps is helping them understand why we do things the way we do them.
Distinguishing between trash and donations will help your kids become more comfortable with getting rid of things. This is especially true if your kids have an attachment to their stuff.
Tell your kids that the items that will get thrown away are things like old, broken toys, ripped or stained clothing, puzzles with missing pieces, and electronics that don’t work anymore.
The other items they simply don’t want will be donated. If the donation process is new to your kids, it helps to explain how their old things can benefit other children.
By explaining that their old toys and clothing can help another child who is less fortunate than them they are able to see the good that they are doing while cleaning.
Let Them Choose
To really get your kids excited about cleaning their room, it’s important to get them involved in the process. This means letting them choose which items go in which pile.
To make sure they understand how to determine where the item will go, have them ask themselves these questions about each thing:
• Do you use it or play with it?
• Does it fit?
• Is it broken, stained, or ripped?
• Do you love it?
The answers to these questions will help your kids decide which pile to put each item in.
If your kids love it, still use it regularly, and it fits them, they can keep it.
If it’s broken, stained or ripped, it should be thrown away.
And if it doesn’t fit or doesn’t get used, it can be donated.
Another decision that is great to involve kids in is where to donate the items when they’re finished cleaning their room. There are a variety of amazing places to donate items other than the local thrift store.
Do a little bit of research and find a few local places your kids can choose from. Children’s items are appreciated at places like women’s shelters, churches, children’s homes, social services organizations, hospitals, and the Red Cross.
Related: Check Out This Homemade Vinegar Cleaner
Cleaning Their Room Means Creating a Place for Everything
After decluttering their rooms, it’s important to create an organizational plan for your kid’s rooms going forward. One of the best ways to help keep your kids room clean is to create a place for everything. This will help keep the toys, books, and clothing organized after you’re finished cleaning.
Use Bins to Get Your Kids to Clean Their Room
Provide your kids with baskets and bins for toy storage. Then, label each basket with the items that belong inside. Labels are also great for dresser drawers, making it simple for your kids to know exactly where their shirts, pants, underwear, and socks belong. Mabels Labels are an AMAZING creation that I suggest checking out for this! You won’t be disappointed!
These bins and labels will also help throughout the decluttering process. Tell your kids that they are only allowed to keep items that fit inside those bins.
If they decide they “love” so many stuffed animals that they don’t fit inside the designated bin, they’ll be forced to par down their stuffed animal pile even more.
How to Get Your Kids to Keep Cleaning Their Room
Once you learn how to get your kids to clean their room, the process isn’t over. Making sure your kids keep their room clean and organized is an ongoing process.
Having your kids seasonally declutter their room will help them instill the process in their everyday lives. One simple way to keep your kid’s room clean and free of clutter is to clear out old clothing. Each change of season is a great time to remove clothing that doesn’t fit, as well as items that are ripped or stained.
Demonstrate Frequent Cleaning Habits
Keep in mind, your continual cleaning and decluttering shouldn’t be limited to your kid’s room. One of the best ways to instill a habit in your kids is to demonstrate that behavior yourself.
Related: Declutter Your Way Calm
If you truly want to know how to get your kids to clean their room, seeing you frequently cleaning other rooms throughout the home is a great way to show them the importance of organization in their everyday lives.
