when your children's rooms get too messy, do you clean them?
By kimberlylynn
@kimberlylynn (978)
United States
September 22, 2008 8:29pm CST
I was on strike, I absolutely refused to clean my kids toy room. I had been a month, and I thought eventually they would start picking things up. I gave up today, and cleaned it and it took me all day. Literally every puzzle piece, every game piece, every card from every card game, every toy was on the floor dumped. Things were broken, things are missing, markers on the carpet, food and drinks (that are not allowed) were found. I am really upset and don't know what to do for this next time. I have a place for everything and everything is well marked so they have no excuse. They shove things under the chairs, in the closet or wherever so as not to put it away. We try the take one thing out then put it back but that never works. I know they are still young but they are just being lazy. I have bribed them, begged them, threatened them, given toys away and am out of ideas. Do you just give up and clean your kids rooms or how do you get them to clean it? thanks,
3 responses
@ShellyB (5241)
• United States
23 Sep 08
The only kid at home has to pick up her own room and well almost 18 is really the right thing to do.
I am glad that you have tried to make your kids responsible but I think maybe taking away something that your kids like might help before dirty rooms become a bad habit.
Good luck.
@kimberlylynn (978)
• United States
23 Sep 08
It is a bad habit! I try to tell them bugs will come around from the food, and they will hurt themselves when they step on toys and break things. The funny thing is that my kids love to help me clean the rest of the house, but won't clean up their area.
@heaven11 (1159)
• United States
23 Sep 08
well sometimes i help them clean them but usually i make them clean thier rooms when they refuse the tv goes off and they sit in thier rooms until they clean it one time my son wouldnt clean his room and he told us to take his toy box to the burn barrel so i took everyone of his toys out and he had maybe 2 toys for a month that straightened him out for a month then it went back to the same ol same ol so now i just take the more important things away and he gets the point
@kimberlylynn (978)
• United States
23 Sep 08
thanks, I will keep trying. I do take away tv and things and not let them out until they clean it but then my daughter always ends up doing the work and my son refuses and could care less if I throw away everything he owns (he's stubborn like that). Then they fight and then the screaming and the crying. I might have to separate them and not have a toy room for both if this continues. thanks for sharing!
@ProudMommy22 (705)
• United States
23 Sep 08
Most deff. not i dont clean my oldest son's room. Hes 2 years old but he knows that whatever he pulls out to play with it must be cleaned up when done with it. If he dont then i'll tell him once to go clean it up and if it hasnt been cleaned up within an hour he gets 5 mins time out when he gets out of time out he cleans it usually one time is all it takes. As far as food and drinks arent allowed in the room period that are to be left on the table if taken in the room he gets 5 mins time out for each drink and food thats brought into the room which i think thats happend once but hasnt happend again after that 10 min time out. Some kids are different but time out seems to do the trick for me.
