ARGH! How do you get a kid to clean thier room?

[L8trHtr]

I give up! My kids room is a mess and is always a mess. Nothing I say or do seems to make a difference! Any suggestions besides beating them?

 

[smoothmarine187]

I usually let them rent a video game, and then tell them they can't play it until their room is all cleaned up. If I'm in a bad mood........then its good old fashioned inforcement.

 

[Chasey_Lane]

I give up! My kids room is a mess and is always a mess. Nothing I say or do seems to make a difference! Any suggestions besides beating them?

They shouldn't have a choice to clean their room. It's called dictatorship parenting.

 

[L8trHtr]

Okay - the beatings will commence .......

 

[Sharon]

When I had to clean my kids rooms because they were lazy, I bagged everything and tossed it into the shed. It didn't matter if it was clothes or toys, they had to earn it back or make a deal.

 

[L8trHtr]

I remember my parents doing that to me as well - IT SUCKED! I'll have to try that.

 

[fttrsbeerwench]

Chasey and Sharon or soo right...

The two kids I watch have tried to trash my house the same way they do their mothers...Bleached the new carpet.. Cut the plastic locks fromt eh kitchen cabinets and thrown the food on the floor..They attempted making one of the bedrooms a pool by dumping buckets of water on the floor...

I'm a complete A-shole when it comes to this kind of thing.. I make it very clear that THEY own NOTHING.. It is ALL mine and they can use it provided they do what they are told..

You give your kids choices when it comes to what t-shirt to wear or what vegetable to eat for dinner.. By no means do you allow them to trash YOUR home and not clean it up.

I'm about to go beat my daughter right now.. Say bye-bye Ipod, Styling head and computer.

 

[L8trHtr]

Chasey and Sharon or soo right...

The two kids I watch have tried to trash my house the same way they do their mothers...Bleached the new carpet.. Cut the plastic locks fromt eh kitchen cabinets and thrown the food on the floor..They attempted making one of the bedrooms a pool by dumping buckets of water on the floor...

I'm a complete A-shole when it comes to this kind of thing.. I make it very clear that THEY own NOTHING.. It is ALL mine and they can use it provided they do what they are told..

You give your kids choices when it comes to what t-shirt to wear or what vegetable to eat for dinner.. By no means do you allow them to trash YOUR home and not clean it up.

I'm about to go beat my daughter right now.. Say bye-bye Ipod, Styling head and computer.

Good luck with that - I'm gonna do the same!

 

[Pandora]

When I had to clean my kids rooms because they were lazy, I bagged everything and tossed it into the shed. It didn't matter if it was clothes or toys, they had to earn it back or make a deal.

That is what I do.

 

[crabcake]

When I had to clean my kids rooms because they were lazy, I bagged everything and tossed it into the shed. It didn't matter if it was clothes or toys, they had to earn it back or make a deal.

Usually, though, for DQ, I simply grab a lawn & leaf bag, snap it open, and head up the steps. She usually races up, blocks me at the door, and gets her ass in gear.

 

[dustin]

The boy can trash his room in a matter within a minute. I kid you not 45 seconds tops.

We have tried all different methods to get him to clean up his room and he is really good about it most of the time (granted he is 4 yrs old so one can only expect so much). He takes ownership in the things he has. For the most part.

Being so young we understand that he can be overwhelmed with the task at hand. So usually what we do is tell him to pick up a certain thing or group of things. Goes something like this:

Us "Pick up your room J, looks like hurricane katrina came through here"
J "Ok but I just need instructions"
Us "Ok first you need to pick up your cars."
--5 minutes later--
J "Ok I'm done picking up my cars"
Us "Now pick up your blocks"
--5 minutes later--
J "Ok I just picked up all my brocks"
Us "alright great job, do you want more instructions?"
J- "yup"
Us "Ok next you need to pick up the clothes on the floor"
J "ok i will pick up my crowes"

...and so on and so forth...

 

[Dymphna]

When I had to clean my kids rooms because they were lazy, I bagged everything and tossed it into the shed. It didn't matter if it was clothes or toys, they had to earn it back or make a deal.

I've got several bags of toys in my basement. The kids don't even miss them. They've been down there so long they don't even know what they have anymore. I'm thinking of having a yard sale.

The main thing though is to keep their ages in mind... A 3-yo for example (I have one of these) can't be told, "go clean your room." They have to be told, "Pick up all the legos in your room and put them in the box." followed by, "now, pick up your stuffed animals..." An 8-yo (I have one of these too) can be told, "clean your room or I'll do it." and understand that they can kiss those toys goodbye.

 

[Sharon]

Usually, though, for DQ, I simply grab a lawn & leaf bag, snap it open, and head up the steps. She usually races up, blocks me at the door, and gets her ass in gear.

I never gave notice. It went while they were at school. I only had to do it twice. The first time the boys came home from school they said, "Wow!" (all smiles at their cleaned up bedroom) then they went to open the closet and find their stuff...


GONE! The little smiles dropped right of their faces.

 

[onebdzee]

Usually, though, for DQ, I simply grab a lawn & leaf bag, snap it open, and head up the steps. She usually races up, blocks me at the door, and gets her ass in gear.

My youngest is the only one of mine that hasn't learned the lesson of "clean your room or I will" means they better clean their room or all their stuff goes in the trash

 

[Pete]

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[vraiblonde]

I am far too busy to clean my kids' rooms. It's all I can do to clean my own room. But they're always wanting something - can I go here, can I go there, can this kid spend the night, will you drive me...the list goes on and on. So I have some leverage. They've learned to ask, "What do I have to do for you in order to be able to ________?"

The answer is usually "clean your room and your bathroom".

 

[kwillia]

I am far too busy to clean my kids' rooms. It's all I can do to clean my own room.

When they were younger the trash bag idea worked for a short time... then it seemed they were happy as could be to let mom do the dirty work and enjoyed coming home and finding a clean room. I'm back to "If you want... you will..." routine.

 

[nomoney]

The boy can trash his room in a matter within a minute. I kid you not 45 seconds tops.

We have tried all different methods to get him to clean up his room and he is really good about it most of the time (granted he is 4 yrs old so one can only expect so much). He takes ownership in the things he has. For the most part.

Being so young we understand that he can be overwhelmed with the task at hand. So usually what we do is tell him to pick up a certain thing or group of things. Goes something like this:

Us "Pick up your room J, looks like hurricane katrina came through here"
J "Ok but I just need instructions"
Us "Ok first you need to pick up your cars."
--5 minutes later--
J "Ok I'm done picking up my cars"
Us "Now pick up your blocks"
--5 minutes later--
J "Ok I just picked up all my brocks"
Us "alright great job, do you want more instructions?"
J- "yup"
Us "Ok next you need to pick up the clothes on the floor"
J "ok i will pick up my crowes"

...and so on and so forth...

I have to do the same with my boys and they're 7 and 5

 

[keekee]

When they're teenagers, you can just threaten to clean their rooms while they're not home, and mention cleaning the closet and under the bed... It scares the he!! out of them and sends them into cleaning frenzy.
Works every time.

 

[Nickel]

The boy can trash his room in a matter within a minute. I kid you not 45 seconds tops.

We have tried all different methods to get him to clean up his room and he is really good about it most of the time (granted he is 4 yrs old so one can only expect so much). He takes ownership in the things he has. For the most part.

Being so young we understand that he can be overwhelmed with the task at hand. So usually what we do is tell him to pick up a certain thing or group of things. Goes something like this:

Us "Pick up your room J, looks like hurricane katrina came through here"
J "Ok but I just need instructions"
Us "Ok first you need to pick up your cars."
--5 minutes later--
J "Ok I'm done picking up my cars"
Us "Now pick up your blocks"
--5 minutes later--
J "Ok I just picked up all my brocks"
Us "alright great job, do you want more instructions?"
J- "yup"
Us "Ok next you need to pick up the clothes on the floor"
J "ok i will pick up my crowes"

...and so on and so forth...

Note that this method only started working after I put every item on the floor in trashbags a few months ago.