messy room

Replies

• theoldwomanwholivesinashoe

  Jan 10, 2011 10:25PM

  My girls' room is the same.I can spend hours in there one day,and by the end of a week you wouldn't think I bothered.We have the four girls in one big room,but it's really only the older two who keep their toys and things in there,so really their responsibility to keep it tidy.

  I make sure there is somewhere for everything to go.I bought a set of plastic drawers for the girls.As they get older their stuff just seems to have pieces.We also have with all the toys in our house,plenty of plastic boxes,with lids.One box for duplo,one cars etc for the littlies,but upstairs in the girls' room one box for Sylvanian,one for ponies,another for fairies,whatever.That way things can be put away easily.There's always bits leftover,badges,things for hair,treasures they gather so they get two of the plastic drawers each for just stuff.My older girls are 8 and 10,so they are supposed to keep it tidy.They're perfectly capable of making beds,putting teddies/toys tidy and doing a basic tidy.I do try and leave it to them.Putting all the messes in the middle of the room and giving them ten minutes before I come back with a couple of black sacks usually works wonders.I do go and have a good tidy and clean in there maybe once a month or so,and throw out the rubbish or put piece back in the toy they're supposed to go in.

  I think by 9 they should be doing a lot to keep their things tidy.I'm not a big believer in giving my kids jobs,but this is learning to have some personal responsibility for their own belongings.

  We did go through a period of rewards or bribes,but it didn't take my kids long to ask what's it worth every time they were asked to do something

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