How to Teach Kids to Clean Up
June 21, 2008 by Maricar
Filed under Organizing and Clutter Control
My hope is that someday, my kids will be able to clean up after themselves. Meanwhile, they have to be taught the why’s and the how’s.
These are the things that I try to do to get them on the path to being neat and organized.
* Make it fun with a clean-up song (Barney’s is great) or a rhyme. This works specially great for preschoolers.
* Work on small areas at a time. Kids get overwhelmed when they have large areas to clean up. Dividing the chore into small tasks, like one type of toy at a time (cars, stuffed animals, books, etc.) make it easier to handle.
* Have a routine. Teach them to put things away after using them, and before starting another activity.
* Give them a sense of ownership and responsibility by having them pick up their own things.
* Be specific in your instructions. Instead of “Clean up all the toys”, say “Put the trains in the box”.
* Younger kids need you to work alongside them. This will have to go on for a few years, but the effort will be worth it.
Creative Commons image by decor8 on Flickr
I’ve had great success with some of these ideas. I also make them clean up their own spills and markings (on walls & furniture – hello!)
Some of my favorite lines are, “I am not the maid or waitress,” and “You live here, you can help keep the place clean.”