Being a
parent is a lot of hard work and can be a little overwhelming at times, so while
cleaning seems to always be needed, having one less room to clean would be a
blessing. Teaching your child how to clean their own room can be a great way to
make everything more manageable while also teaching them responsibility. Cleaning
a whole room can be a big task for a child, so here are some ways to teach them
without overwhelming them.
Start with Small Tasks
In school,
you don’t jump into adding larger numbers together before you learn the small
ones, and just like in math, there are many components that go into cleaning a
room that a child might not understand.It’s important to teach children how to
do smaller tasks first, like pulling their comforter all the way up to their
pillows, or putting away their toys when they’re done playing. If they don’t
know how to do a task, like hanging clothes on a hanger, make sure you show
them how it’s done.
Use Pictures to Help
Depending on
how old your child is when you’re teaching them how to clean their room, it may
be easier to show a picture of how to do something. If there is a box for
blocks in their room, put a picture of a block above the bin it goes in so your
child remembers. You could also utilize diagrams with arrows to show your child
how to make their bed or hang up clothes.
Teach Them to Clean as They Play
This concept
can be a trickier to teach, but once children learn how to clean up after
themselves when they’re done playing, it’ll make cleaning their room easier for
them. If you have to clean up after them, you can take whatever toys you had to
clean up and keep them somewhere. Your child can get them back once they’ve
done a chore or two. It may not work the first time, but it’s a start to
teaching them to pick up after they’re done playing.
Make it Fun
Cleaning
your room isn’t a fun task for most, so find something to help make cleaning
something your child wants to do. There are different clean up songs you can
teach your child, or rhymes to get them to remember to tidy their room. You can
come up with a game with prizes to make cleaning more fun.
Have Patience with Them
Remember
that your child is learning, so don’t expect perfection on the first try. Be
encouraging, and tell them how proud you are of them for trying and then
correct them on something if they messed up on it. Let your child know it’s
okay to forget or mess up; they just need to try again so they can learn.
Having your
child clean their own room will make them accountable for the messes they make.
Your child will also learn tasks that will help them later in life, like
putting a shirt on a hanger or organizing their toys. There will be less mess
for you to worry about and you’ll all be better off because of it!
This is a
guest post by Michael from ThinkCrucial.com, a home improvement brand that helps
people save money on replacement parts.