HOW TO TEACH KIDS TO CLEAN UP AFTER THEMSELVES

Your kids’ rooms are a mess and you find yourself going crazy trying to teach kids to clean up after themselves.

None of the threating and nagging seems to help and you are at your wit’s end.

No one wants to feel as though walking through their kid’s room is like walking through a war zone. Having to avoid the blocks all over the floor and navigating through mountains of clothes can leave even the most resilient parent feeling defeated.

HOW TO TEACH KIDS TO CLEAN UP AFTER THEMSELVES

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There are ways to avoid the constant frustration you feel when it comes to your children and their cleaning habits. The first step is teaching your kids to clean up after themselves.

SET EXPECTATIONS

Set expectations for your kids when it comes to tidying up after themselves and be consistent in enforcing the rules. Make it clear that if your kids take out a toy to play with, they must return it to where it belongs before taking out another one.

BE A ROLE MODEL

If you want your children to have good habits when it comes to cleaning up, you have to show them how to do it through your behavior.

Don’t leave your clothes all over the floor if you expect them to pick theirs up, take your dishes to the sink when you are done with them and set a good example for your little ones. Chances are they will follow suit.

BE SPECIFIC

Be very specific about your intentions. This can help your children to understand the clear guidelines and make cleaning up after themselves easier.

Label toy storage bins so that everything is put in the correct place.
Give a five-minute countdown to when you expect them to start cleaning up.
Don’t “ask” your children to clean up, make it clear that they are expected to clean up.
Create a step-by-step chore list for each individual task so that your child knows what is expected when you ask them to complete a task.
Explain the rewards that come when they clean up after themselves and make the consequences clear when they don’t.

It is also easier to teach kids to clean up after themselves when they have less toys. Fewer toys often result in happier kids because they don’t feel overwhelmed with the task of cleaning up everything in front of them.

A great strategy is to separate toys into seasons or store some toys in large storage bins in the crawl space and switch them out with the toys in the toy room.

There are many ways to teach your children to clean up after themselves. It is important that you set clear expectations, model good choices and be specific with what you want and need when it comes to them cleaning up after themselves.

You may also like this post on 49 IDEAS FOR CHORES if you are looking for ways your child can help out around the house: