“I know I just told you to straighten this room,” a desperate mom shouts down the stairs at her daughter, who is watching television. There are a few things wrong with this scenario. First, her daughter has disobeyed her mother and is watching television when her chores are not complete. This shows a lack of respect for her parents.
Secondly, it can’t be too easy to parent or get a message across properly, shouting from the top of the stairs. Instead, the mother in this scenario should confront her daughter in a more civilized manner but still with clear authority. Yelling will likely not resolve too many problems. Sometimes, it can work for the moment, but it also can worsen the issue in the future. Instead, this mother may want to try a little creativity, authority and consistency.
Creativity
Creativity, in combination with authority and consistency, can play an important role in getting kids to do tasks such cleaning their rooms. Who says chores have to be boring? Why not make them fun?
For preschoolers and toddlers, try having races to the toy box. If a toy grocery cart or wagon is available, the children can pick up more toys at once. Racing with the cart or wagon can be fun. With older kids you may have to try something else.
Often, the reason behind older kids not cleaning is because there is not an exact place for everything. Try taking the kids each on their own separate shopping trip. Allow them to pick out organizational items for their room. To make it more fun, allow them to personalize those items with paint or fabric.
Think about your child’s favorite activity and try to incorporate that in cleaning the room. For instance, if your kids enjoy dancing, you can turn on the music. To get your kids to clean their rooms let them know they can dance while cleaning.
Creative ideas do not have to be limited to those above. They may even need to be updated periodically as your kids get bored. Sometimes all that is needed to motivate kids to clean their rooms is a fresh idea that hasn’t been used before. Also, this could act as an opportunity for creative play with your child. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, creative play is essential.
Authority
Another important factor when you want to get your kids to clean their rooms is authority. Be sure your child knows that you mean business. If you tell your kids to clean their rooms in a joking tone of voice, they won’t take you seriously. Do not be mean. Just be firm and serious.
If they are not complying, get on their eye level. This is mainly for use with kids who still are not complying, even after you’ve made the chore fun. Let them know that they can either have fun with it or not, but their chores do need to be done. In order for them to take you seriously, your voice should be firm but not angry.
Consistency
If you have instructed your kids to clean their rooms, you must show them you mean business. Stay in close proximity to the rooms until they are clean. With older children, check back every couple minutes.
By being consistent and authoritative, the kids should know you mean business. It is possible to be fun and serious at the same time. When you are trying to get the kids to clean their rooms with fun and creativity, it should be evident that whether they choose to have fun with it or not, their rooms still need to be cleaned. When combining creativity, authority and consistency, the kids should know you mean business and get their rooms clean.
Atlanta Cleaning Services | Boston Cleaning Services | Charlotte Cleaning Services | Chicago Cleaning Services | Dallas Cleaning Services | Los Angeles Cleaning Services | Miami Cleaning Services | Minneapolis Cleaning Services | New York Cleaning Services | Philadelphia Cleaning Services | Phoenix Cleaning Services | San Francisco Cleaning Services | Seattle Cleaning Services | Washington, DC Cleaning Services | See More Cities