Believe it or not, it is possible to teach your kids to clean their rooms. One of the most important aspects on your part is to be consistent with your teaching and your consequences. Here are some tips to help teach your kids to organize their rooms.
1.Start when they are young.
Start when your child is in their playpen and can sit on their own. You should allow your child to have play time with a few toys set up in the playpen. When they are done playing, have them help you put the toys back in the spot it belongs. This is a great starting place to teaching kids to organize.
2. Use positive praise.
Constantly praise your child when they are doing well. They will work harder to accomplish the tasks, knowing that it makes you happy with them. Everyone likes to know they are doing a good job.
3. Always have your child clean up toys and put away.
Wherever your child is playing, when it is the appropriate time, have them clean up the toys they play with and put everything away. It is a vital component of organization.
4. Use cubicles or bins that are labeled.
Set up your child’s room in a way that is well organized. Teach them where to put their toys, books, and clothes when they are done with the item or it is washed.
5. Make a chart to help them remember what needs to be done.
Making a chart for your child will help keep them focused on what needs to be done. They can put stickers or stars to show that they have accomplished the task.
6. Reward your child when they do well.
You can encourage their efforts and help them want to do well. Set an amount of time, if they continue to do their chores or have so many stars, they will get to go out to eat or watch a movie. Rewards are an impressive form of positive reinforcement but don’t let it become a bribe.
7. Expect everyone in the family to do their part.
Your family is a team. You need to teach everyone to do their part to support their team. Working together to accomplish tasks is a valuable life lesson you can teach your kids. This experience will help them to be productive and able to collaborate with others throughout their lives.
8. Lead by example.
Children learn the most by watching their parents. If you want your child to have a neat and organized room you have to be the leader. Show your child that organizing is for everyone and you are not a hypocrite. Kids quickly pick up on, you want them to do something but you don’t do it yourself. It is easy to lose all of the teaching and work you’ve put into helping your child by not following your own advice.
9.Have consequences for not completing the tasks.
If there are no consequences, kids can fall into a pattern of laziness. Everyone has the tendency to be lazy, but you work hard to get things done to take care of your family. Teach your kids the importance of doing their part to have a clean and organized home. If they don’t follow through on their tasks have a punishment that fits the crime. For example, if they don’t want to put their toys away, pack their toys up and put them in the garage or basement for a certain amount of time. Write on the calendar when the punishment starts and ends so you won’t forget.
Teaching your kids while they are young to clean up their messes and organize their room. Set up the room in a way that is easy to keep everything in its place with shelves, cubicles, toys, and book shelves. Be consistent with your expectations and reward good behavior and have consequences for disobedience.
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