How to Teach Kids to Clean Their Rooms

Kids tend to pull toys out of their toy boxes and off the shelves at will. They play with a toy for a few minutes and then move on to the next toy without returning the previous toy to its place. With a child’s short attention span, it can seem like dozens of your kid’s toys are spread across the floor in a matter of hours.

Add dust, dander, dirty clothes and more to the mix, and a kid’s room can get downright filthy in a short period of time. You don’t have to do all of the clean-up yourself, though. Teaching kids to clean their own rooms is a better option for you as well as them.

Why Teaching Kids to Clean Matters

A clean space is commonly associated with a healthy environment. It is much easier to stay on top of dust and other debris when a child’s things are always put back in place after their use. In addition, there are mental health benefits associated with having a clean space, such as reduced stress and anxiety.

The process of cleaning is cathartic for many people, and this includes children. Importantly, teaching kids to clean and giving them their own set of chores establishes a sense of responsibility in them.

Start Early and Keep It Age-Appropriate

After kids reach a certain age, they can handle most or all of the cleaning in their rooms. When they are younger, however, keep their chores appropriate for their age and abilities. As soon as young children can walk, you can teach them to put their toys back after using them or at least before meals, snacks and naps.

As they grow, they can dust, vacuum and make their beds. When you start establishing cleaning habits early, kids are more willing to clean when requested. They also may be less likely to leave messes behind when they know that they’ll be expected to clean up later.

Make Cleaning Simple and Fun

While some people enjoy cleaning, many others find it to be tedious and time-consuming. This includes children. Cleaning is simplified when everything in your children’s rooms has a place of its own. Kids need to know where to put things when they are cleaning up. Create organization and structure in their rooms to simplify cleaning.

In addition, make cleaning fun by playing upbeat music. You can even make cleaning a race to see who can be done faster.

Break It Down: Step-by-Step Cleaning

Teaching kids to clean in steps establishes structure to their chores. The first step is to make the bed and pick up everything that’s out of place. Make a pile of clothes and a separate pile for everything else. The second step is to put clean clothes away and dirty clothes in the wash. You’ll need to teach your kids how to hang or fold clean laundry.

The third step is to tackle the “everything else” pile. For items that have a home, return them to their rightful places. For items that don’t have a home, you will need to work with your kids to help them create spaces for these items.

Provide Guidance, But Don’t Take Over

Kids won’t learn how to clean if you do everything for them. You also can’t expect them to learn something after you show them how to do it just once. Be prepared to teach your kids how to do a task at least several times. Then, you’ll likely have to teach them how to do a better job with some tasks.

Show your kids how to do the work, and let them do the rest of the task. Avoid taking over completely. This will teach them that you’ll do the work for them if they simply complain or do a bad job. Remember, the goal is to teach them to do the work themselves.

Stay Consistent and Celebrate Progress

Keeping your kids’ room clean is a primary goal, but it’s important to look at the bigger picture. When you are consistent with your cleaning expectations, kids will become accustomed to cleaning. As a result, it becomes an ingrained habit.

Developing habits takes time, which requires your perseverance and patience. Children thrive on positive feedback. Rather than focus on what they didn’t do or didn’t do right, highlight and reward their progress.

As a parent, you likely struggle to contain your kids’ toys and messes to their bedrooms. Between tending to your kids’ needs and your many other responsibilities, finding time to give your home the regular attention that it needs is a challenge. However, a clean home is essential for your family’s health. It also reduces stress and minimizes expenses.

At Cleanzen, our mission is to deliver clean homes to our valued customers. Contact us today to learn more about Cleanzen cleaning services.