Be a good example

It doesn’t help to ask your child to clean her/his room when you don’t give the right example yourself. It will seem unfair to a child that you’re not doing the same as you expect from them. Unfairness can be really demotivating for children.

That’s why it’s so important that you show your child how important cleanliness is for your family through acting. This means that the whole family helps with tiding up and that the rest of the house reflects the organized standard you want your child to have.

Tidy up together

A way to be a good example or to motivate your child is to clean together. By having a set time during the day where both you and your child contribute to cleaning helps the child understand it is an important task that must be done. Let the child take responsibility for its own things while you clean something else, for example in your own bedroom or the bathroom. When you both are ready, you can sit down together and do something nice as a reward, like seeing a favorite movie or eating something delicious.

Be clear about your expectations

To say the child must clean its room can be too vague. If you give specific instructions, you are clear about what is expected from the child. For example, to pick up toys from the floor or to make the bed. Some like to make checklist and go through it together after tasks have been completed. Afterwards the child will learn what needs to be done to tidy its whole room.

All things should have their own place

It can be confusing for the child to tidy up if the toys don’t have a fixed storage place. By making such a system, it will be easier for the child to put back its toys on a regular basis. A shelving system which they can reach, boxes for different types of toys and clear labels for where things should be, can help. The most important thing here is to not make it too complicated. The easier, the better.

Involve them in decision-making

The last tip is to involve the child in decision-making on how they want to organize and furnish its room. This creates a feeling of ownership and leads to a desire to keep the room tidy.