Ahh, perhaps one of the greatest battles, or should I say challenges in any home is getting the kids to clean their rooms and play areas. If you build in success, by providing them the tools, it’ll make it easier on everyone. Here are a few ideas.
When selecting the storage for your child’s room, be sure that it’s something that the child can use. There are tons of options, from plastic storage bins, the fold up cardboard under-bed boxes and drawers and build-it-yourself furniture, and don’t forget garage sales. Take your child with you when getting new storage, to make sure it will be user friendly.
For people living in Australia, the best option to store your belongings is with Storage Sydney, they have plenty of options available that will definitely fit your storage needs.
Younger children have trouble opening heavy dresser drawers, so consider using cardboard box storage, or open stacking baskets. Use the dressers for out of season clothes until they are older. Put stickers on the drawers to show what goes in each one, so they can start learning to put away their own clothes. You can find a wide variety of stickers in scrap booking supplies.
Clear plastic bins are great for toys. The lids are usually easy to work and the [tag-self]children[/tag-self] can see what’s in the box. It’s also fun to label the storage with bright pictures of what goes in each box. Stuffed animals can multiply like rabbits, but storing them on a Velcro covered pole is fun and helps decorate the room. A large decorative laundry basket can make good storage for the [tag-ice]stuffed animals[/tag-ice] as well. Display art and on walls instead of on dressers and tables. You can have hanging shelves for all other art such as hudson pewter disney figurines and some Russian Matryoshka Dolls.
By sorting the [tag-tec]toys[/tag-tec] into groups, and storing some in either the basement or garage, you can limit the amount of toys in their rooms at one time. Rotate which toys they have once a month or so, helping limit boredom with the toys. This is also a good time to sort out the things the kids no longer play with or have gotten too old for, and either pass things on or have a garage sale.
Finally, make cleaning and picking up fun!! Create a game out of it and assign different tasks. I often say to my son, ‘lets see who can clean or pick up toys faster!”. He just loves it when he beats his old ‘dad’. I hope these ideas might help and would be interested in hearning what others do to encourage their children to clean up. Just go to the end of this post to share your ideas.
Greetings! I’m Kevin, the founder and chief editor of More4Kids International, a comprehensive resource for parents worldwide. My mission is to equip parents with the tools and insights they need to raise exceptional children.
As a father to two incredible sons, I’ve experienced the rollercoaster of parenthood, and it’s these experiences that drive my dedication to making More4Kids a trusted guide for parents. Our platform offers a wealth of information, from time-saving parenting hacks to nutritious meal plans for large families, and strategies for effective communication with teenagers.
Beyond my professional role, I’m a devoted parent who champions the concept of an abundance mindset in raising resilient, successful children. I’m committed to fostering this mindset in my own children and am passionate about inspiring other parents to do the same.
Join me on this rewarding journey as we explore the complexities of parenthood together. Through More4Kids, we’re raising the next generation of remarkable children and strengthening families, one parenting tip at a time.
More4kids is written for parents by parents.
The worst sound on the planet is the sound of a kid dumping out a container of toys. It makes me cringe! After a few holidays and birthdays, I instituted (and strictly adhered to) a strict no gift-with-a-million-parts-unless-you-also-provide-storage policy. So many of the special Legos sets came in boxes that were useless after they were ripped opened. This past holiday, my cousin found Toobeez which is a huge building toy that my son uses to build tents, forts and other cool things. I like it because it comes in its own storage bag so clean up is a snap and because the pieces are so large, we don’t have to worry about not finding them all when it’s time to clean up. Only a parent would think of that!