encouraging kids to clean their room

That's kind of a tough age to get them to realize the thing about it being their responsibility. When my 8 year old was just starting to do that (clean her room). I would always make a really big deal about it when she did it by herself. I'd tell her, "WOW! What a great job.", then I'd try to make it sound like I was being silly and look under the bed and in the closet and say "Are you sure you did this all by youself, I think someone helped you because it's sooo clean." "I think the little fairy that helped you is hiding around here somewhere." She thought that was so funny and was so proud that she did it on her own.

Explain to your child that it is her responsibility to clean her room. Tell her that everyone in the family helps keep the house clean and she should want her room to look nice. A couple of ideas~ first, make a chart. Every day that her room is clean by the time she goes to bed, put a sticker on the chart. When the week is over, take her to a dollar store and let her pick a prize for keeping her room clean. second, if she isn't into the rewards, then you can take the toys away that she doesn't pick up. Tell her to clean her room and let you know when she is done. When she tells you she is done, go in and if there are toys out, get a garbage bag and start putting them very slowly one at a time in the garbage saying 'since this is still out, you must not want it anymore.' If you throw away a few of her toys, she will get the message loud and clear that it is her responsibility to take care of things in her room.

I've always told my kids that either they clean their room or I will. If I clean their rooms, I take everything out of their rooms. After one week, I give them one toy. If their room is still clean after another week, I'll give them another one. I keep doing this until they have all of their toys back or I have them all back again. But they know that if I end up taking all of them again they don't ever get them back. So far it has worked. I've never had to throw away anything.

I offered coupons for my daughter doing chores when she was under the age of nine. She could use these coupons at anytime for different things. She could get a new toy or special tv time or a movie pick during movie night. It depends on what the child likes. All kids are different just keep trying different things and you will find one that works for you. I wish you luck. My daughter is sixteen and she hates cleaning her room and I have to threaten to take the cell phone away from her.

At this age you might try a sticker chart. Have her help you draw it up and draw pictures for each chore, like picking up her clothes, putting away her toys, etc. Every time she does the required job, she gets to choose a sticker to put beside the picture. You can offer a reward for a certain number of stickers, something simple like a bouncy ball or a rub on tattoo or mini activity book. My mom used to keep a box of dollar store goodies for us to choose rewards from.

I have never believed in rewarding a child for doing chores however if this is something you want to do try getting her a movie or book that she might like.

Maybe try making it a game. "Dirty clothes or toy basket ball" (throwing things into the hamper or toy chest). you could have her put her dolls "to bed" in the morning by having her make the bed and tuck the dolls along the pillows. You could help her to clean, too, then maybe she won't feel she is being "sent away" to clean it. She's not really going to appriciate a clean, organized room like you will, so just getting her to keep things up off the floor is probably pretty good at that age (or any age, really).