My Messy Bedroom
Helping kids to tackle
bedroom chaos requires a certain amount of parental finesse. You don't want to
pressure them to keep their rooms so neat and clean that their bedrooms feel
like the "after" shots for TV Clutter-Busting Shows, but, on the
other hand, it would be nice to see their floor every now and again. Here are
some parent-proven strategies for helping kids keep their rooms reasonably organized
at least some of the time (We're dealing with real-world kids, not TV kids,
after all).
MAKE IT EASY FOR YOUR CHILD TO STAY ORGANIZED. Provide
adequate storage so your child doesn't have to stop and figure out where to put
things whenever he tries to tidy up his room. If cleaning up is that kind of
exercise in frustration, what kid (or adult) is going to want to tackle the
task at all?
STOP THINKING LIKE A GROWNUP AND START THINKING LIKE A
KID—AT LEAST WHEN IT COMES TO CLOSETS AND DRAWERS. If you see things from a
kid's perspective, you'll understand why having your favourite stuff dumped in
piles on your dresser or bookshelf (as opposed to trapped inside a closet or
dresser that's hard to open (or that pinches your fingers most of the time)
makes so much more sense to your child.
PROVIDE YOUR CHILD WITH STORAGE SOLUTIONS THAT ARE QUICK AND
EASY TO USE. You might consider a closet that features kid-sized shelves and
bins to hold her clothing; a shelving unit with a mix of open baskets (for
storing items she uses all the time); and containers with snap-on lids (for
toys with a large pieces that might otherwise get dumped on the floor).
MAKE TIDY UP TIME PART OF EVERYONE'S DAILY ROUTINE. Take a
few minutes each day to tidy up your bedroom, even if your routine is as simple
as making your bed and tossing your laundry in the laundry hamper. Then
encourage your child to do the same. Staying on top of clutter is everyone's
job—and it should be tackled on a daily basis in at least some small way if you
want to keep the Clutter Monster at bay.
MAKE IT FUN. Organizing your child's room and maintaining
the systems that you set up doesn't have to be an overwhelming or tortuous
task. Cue up some music with a fun and inspiring beat and do the
let's-see-what's-living-under-your-bed boogie with your child.
GO FOR FUNCTION RATHER THAN STYLE WHEN YOU'RE CHOOSING
OFF-THE-SHELF ORGANIZATING SYSTEMS. Think real kid, real world. Sure, some of
the organizing systems for kids' rooms that are featured in style magazines are
fabulous and funky, but will your child actually use them—and will they stand
up to the kind of harsh conditions they can expect to face in a real kid's
room?
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