Teaching Your Child to Clean!

When you call 911 because there is a distinct and suspicious odor
in the neighborhood and the culprit turns out to be two pairs of
sneakers, three pairs of underwear and a dozen or more hot dog
remnants of unknown origin and vintage found under your child's
bed, it's past time to get your child's room organized! When your
child has gotten lost for hours in the mounds of clutter trying to find his way from the bed to the door, it's past time to teach
your child to organize himself! But if you haven't reached that
stage yet, there is still hope!

Here are some tips to help you teach your children neatness and
organization:

1. Your child learns by example. If the only clear area of your
home is the path from the sofa to the television to the
refrigerator and back, then it's time to commit to organizing your
home! Make the process a family project so that your children can
learn that everyone must pitch in to keep the home tidy.

2. Establish a routine and stick with it! Teach your child that
beds are made and toys are picked up every day. It is easier for a
child to clean a room a little every day, rather than be faced
with a huge mess all at once.

3. Provide plenty of storage - shelves, plastic storage
containers, hampers, etc. Create a special storage area out of a
plastic storage unit made for storing garden tools. Attach laundry
bags in colorful colors to the hooks meant for rakes and shovels.
Spray paint the unit in a cheerful color to match the room. Voila!
A fun storage area!


4. Reward your child's cleaning and organizing efforts with fun!
Make a checklist of tasks with a reward when the tasks are
completed such as permission to watch a favorite show, time to
play a favorite computer game, a special story time with you or
staying up an hour past bedtime. Simple rewards such as these will
provide an incentive to keep up the good work! Make a game of
cleaning! This works especially well with young children. A game
of "Pick Up" to see which of you can pick up more clothes within a
certain time limit or a game of "Hide the Clothes in the Hamper"
will make cleaning more fun!

5. Be specific. Telling a child to "clean that room" can set the
stage for failure and frustration. The task may seem overwhelming!
But telling your child to pick up the clothes which are on the
floor allows your child to focus in on a specific, achievable task.

6. Limit the amount of "stuff" your child has. Once a month, go
through your child's room together and give toys and clothes that
have been outgrown and are no longer needed to those less
fortunate. Not only will your child's room stay cleaner, but they
will learn a valuable lesson in sharing and giving.

Although you may think it inevitable, the process of keeping your
child's bedroom clean need not be a war! If you are consistent
with the rules, your child will learn what is expected and do it
(eventually!). If you are inconsistent, you have already lost the
battle! Better stock up on flashlights and compasses in case you
need to find your way to their closet!


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About the Author:
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Pamela Cole Harris has been a writer and decor recycler for over 30 years (Yikes! Has it been that long?) - and as for food experience - she has eaten every single day for over 50 years! Visit her websites: http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com and http://www.thewellfedtraveler.com for more of her irreverent humor and style - making you laugh about "serious" things such as design and cooking!