When you call 911 because there is a distinct and suspicious odorin the neighborhood and the culprit turns out to be two pairs ofsneakers, three pairs of underwear and a dozen or more hot dogremnants of unknown origin and vintage found under your child'sbed, it's past time to get your child's room organized! When yourchild 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 teachyour child to organize himself! But if you haven't reached thatstage yet, there is still hope!
Here are some tips to help you teach your children neatness andorganization:
1. Your child learns by example. If the only clear area of yourhome is the path from the sofa to the television to therefrigerator and back, then it's time to commit to organizing yourhome! Make the process a family project so that your children canlearn that everyone must pitch in to keep the home tidy.
2. Establish a routine and stick with it! Teach your child thatbeds are made and toys are picked up every day. It is easier for achild to clean a room a little every day, rather than be facedwith a huge mess all at once.
3. Provide plenty of storage - shelves, plastic storagecontainers, hampers, etc. Create a special storage area out of aplastic storage unit made for storing garden tools. Attach laundrybags 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 arecompleted such as permission to watch a favorite show, time toplay a favorite computer game, a special story time with you orstaying up an hour past bedtime. Simple rewards such as these willprovide an incentive to keep up the good work! Make a game ofcleaning! This works especially well with young children. A gameof "Pick Up" to see which of you can pick up more clothes within acertain 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 thestage for failure and frustration. The task may seem overwhelming!But telling your child to pick up the clothes which are on thefloor allows your child to focus in on a specific, achievable task.
6. Limit the amount of "stuff" your child has. Once a month, gothrough your child's room together and give toys and clothes thathave been outgrown and are no longer needed to those lessfortunate. Not only will your child's room stay cleaner, but theywill learn a valuable lesson in sharing and giving.
Although you may think it inevitable, the process of keeping yourchild's bedroom clean need not be a war! If you are consistentwith the rules, your child will learn what is expected and do it(eventually!). If you are inconsistent, you have already lost thebattle! Better stock up on flashlights and compasses in case youneed to find your way to their closet!
Copyright: Copyright © 2008 Pamela Cole Harris
About the Author:| 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!
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